Rebel forces operating in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray have announced a temporary withdrawal from the regional capital of Mekelle as government troops advanced directly toward the urban center. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has administered the battered province, claimed that its tactical redeployment was orchestrated solely to prevent mass civilian casualties amid encroaching artillery and ground assaults. Residents in Mekelle confirmed that pro-government units have reasserted control over the streets, noting that essential infrastructure, including telecommunication lines, has begun returning in parts of the city.

Heavy fighting has flared up aggressively across northern Ethiopia over recent weeks, engulfing contiguous sectors of the Tigray, Afar, and Amhara regions. The swift territorial shifts have alarmed geopolitical analysts, who warn that the renewal of large-scale combat threatens to destabilize the broader Horn of Africa and pull neighboring countries into the fray. Prior to talks held in Cairo, the US regime purportedly urged all parties to exercise "restraint" and resume "dialogue," though such routine appeals have done little to stall the deteriorating security environment on the ground.

Communities in Tigray are still reeling from the horrific two-year civil war that concluded in late 2022 with the African Union-mediated Pretoria Agreement. Regarded as one of the deadliest military confrontations of this century, the previous conflict claimed an estimated 600,000 lives and pushed entire communities into catastrophic famine. Over the past six months, however, relations completely fractured as Addis Ababa and the TPLF repeatedly accused one another of violating terms. Last month, the TPLF hardened its stance by forming a coalition with six other insurgent factions, including Amhara’s Fano militia, explicitly declaring an intent to topple Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

The fallout from the renewed internal clashes has rapidly ignited regional diplomatic fractures. Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea officially cut bilateral diplomatic ties on Friday after Addis Ababa accused Asmara of financing and arming the rebel coalition—an accusation Eritrea denied. Concurrently, Ethiopian authorities engaged in a diplomatic spat with Egypt over alleged backing of insurgent elements, culminating in retaliatory expulsions of diplomats by both nations. Meanwhile, United Nations officials warned that deteriorating combat conditions are severely paralyzing vital humanitarian supply corridors, leaving vulnerable civilians at imminent risk.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk