Ethiopian Forces Advance Toward Tigray Capital Amid Tensions

Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters are advancing toward Mekelle as renewed fighting in the northern Tigray region intensifies, while a diplomatic rupture between Ethiopia and Eritrea raises concern that the conflict could spread beyond the country. Residents reported that banks and shops in the regional capital were closed, but the forces’ location and control of territory have not been independently established in the supplied reporting. The clashes, which resumed in September, are the most serious escalation since the 2020-2022 war between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigrayan forces, according to reports. The renewed fighting follows the apparent collapse of a 2022 peace agreement. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which leads an opposition alliance, has acknowledged that federal forces occupied some parts of the region. Its chairperson, Debretsion Gebremichael, said the group would counterattack. Two residents of Mekelle told Reuters that government forces were reportedly within about 30 kilometers of the city.