The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which leads an armed Ethiopian opposition alliance, says it has pulled out of Mekelle, the capital of the northern Tigray region, after an advance by government forces and allied fighters.
In a social media statement late on Saturday, the group said it had “temporarily moved out of Mekelle” to “operate from somewhere else”.
The announcement came hours after Ethiopia’s federal army and pro-government fighters recaptured the city’s main airport. A source close to the Tigray Peace Forces, a pro-government militia, told Reuters its fighters entered central Mekelle on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Ethiopian military.
A humanitarian source and a Mekelle resident, both speaking anonymously, confirmed to Reuters that government forces now control the city. A humanitarian source also told AFP that staff on the ground said the TPLF had abandoned the capital.
Fighting began on September 23, after seven armed and political groups announced an alliance to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and set up an inclusive transitional administration. The renewed hostilities followed the collapse of the 2022 peace deal that ended a devastating war between the federal government and Tigray forces.
