The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) says its forces have temporarily withdrawn from the Ethiopian regional capital, Mekelle, citing the danger to civilians as clashes with federal troops intensify.
Two residents told the BBC that government-aligned forces had taken control of the regional capital and TPLF fighters had departed. One said mobile phone connections were working again.
TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael described the retreat as a strategic decision. The movement would continue operating elsewhere, he said, adding: “We will attack the enemy where we choose, not where he chooses for us.”
The latest violence has spread across parts of Tigray, Afar and Amhara, involving federal forces, the TPLF and allied groups.
During the 2020–2022 civil war, TPLF fighters also withdrew from Mekelle and later used guerrilla tactics.
The renewed clashes have heightened fears of broader instability in the Horn of Africa.
Washington has urged restraint and dialogue ahead of diplomatic discussions involving countries bordering Ethiopia.
Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan held talks on Sunday in El-Alamein. Their leaders called for respect for states’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, and urged disputes to be settled peacefully.
Addis Ababa has accused Egypt, Eritrea and Sudan of backing Tigrayan rebels; all three reject the allegation.
Ethiopia and Eritrea severed diplomatic ties on Friday after Ethiopia accused its neighbour of supporting a newly formed rebel alliance.
Separately, a diplomatic dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt led both countries to order an official from the other’s embassy to leave.
The TPLF joined six other armed groups last month, including Amhara’s Fano militia, in an alliance that says it aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
Tigray is still recovering from the devastating war that ended in 2022 with an African Union-brokered accord known as the Pretoria Agreement.
Relations between the signatories have deteriorated over the past six months, with each side accusing the other of breaching the deal.
An AU mediator estimated that about 600,000 people died during the conflict.
The United Nations says worsening insecurity in northern Ethiopia is disrupting humanitarian operations.
It has called on all parties to ensure aid workers can reach people in need safely and without obstruction.
Regional tensions are also shaped by Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Nile.
Egypt fears the project could reduce its water supply.
In their joint statement, the four leaders meeting in El-Alamein called for compliance with international law governing the river and opposed unilateral actions that could harm downstream countries.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong