Tigray Rebels in Ethiopia Abandon Regional Capital as Government Forces Advance

Tigray rebels evacuated the regional capital in northern Ethiopia on Saturday, a local journalist told AFP, as federal government forces advanced toward Mekelle.

Since September 23, fierce clashes have been raging in northern Ethiopia following attacks launched by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) on the Afar and Amhara regions, raising fears of a resurgence of the devastating civil war that ravaged the north between 2020 and 2022 and claimed around 600,000 lives.

However, federal forces and government-aligned groups have managed to repel them and are now advancing northward toward the capital, Mekelle.

The journalist said that TPLF fighters and leaders “are leaving Mekelle… At this moment, government offices and police stations have been emptied of security personnel.”

Government forces have not yet been seen in the city.

One resident told AFP, “I am worried that government and public property will be looted due to the absence of security forces in the city.”

Another person expressed fear that “chaos will spread in the city,” adding, “I am also afraid for my life. I want to quickly return to the rule of law and order.”