Ethiopian government forces and allied militias have retaken Mekelle, the capital of northern Tigray, dealing a major setback to the opposition alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Three sources told Reuters on Sunday that federal forces had regained control of the city after a rapid counteroffensive against TPLF-led forces.
The TPLF confirmed that its fighters had withdrawn from Mekelle, saying the regional government would temporarily relocate from the city and operate from another location.
A source close to the pro-government Tigray Peace Forces said its fighters entered central Mekelle on Saturday afternoon before Ethiopian federal troops followed.
A humanitarian source and a resident of Mekelle, both speaking on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that government forces were in control of the city.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The fall of Mekelle represents a significant reversal for the TPLF-led opposition alliance, which launched a major offensive against Ethiopian government forces on 23 September.
Federal troops and allied fighters responded with a swift counteroffensive into Tigray, rapidly changing the balance on the ground.
The latest fighting marks the most serious escalation since Ethiopia’s devastating civil war between 2020 and 2022.
The renewed conflict has raised concerns that the fighting could spread beyond Tigray and draw neighbouring countries deeper into the confrontation.
The federal government in Addis Ababa last week severed diplomatic ties with Eritrea and accused the country, along with Sudan and Egypt, of supporting the TPLF-led alliance.
Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt have denied the allegations.
The renewed fighting has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict in the Horn of Africa, where political and military tensions have remained high since the end of Ethiopia’s previous civil war.
