TPLF withdraws as federal-aligned forces enter Mekelle

Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters entered Mekelle on Saturday, October 3, after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) withdrew from the northern region’s capital, a shift in control confirmed by witnesses, residents and humanitarian sources. The TPLF said it would temporarily operate from elsewhere, while communications disruptions have limited independent verification of how extensive or durable government-aligned control is across the city. Accounts from Mekelle described federal-aligned fighters in the city and government forces taking control. The Tigray Peace Forces, a progovernment militia, said its fighters controlled Mekelle, and a humanitarian source and a resident also confirmed government-aligned control. A local business owner said fighters entered in small groups as TPLF-aligned forces left. The accounts establish their presence in the city but do not clarify whether control is complete or stable. The withdrawal followed renewed fighting that began on September 23, when the TPLF and other groups launched an offensive against the federal government, according to the reports. Federal forces then advanced into Tigray.