Ethiopia: Tigray forces seize Mekelle airport

ADDIS ABABA (Somaliguardian) – Tigrayan forces seized control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle overnight, taking the facility from federal police in a major escalation just days after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) announced a new alliance with six other armed groups aimed at overthrowing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

An airport employee told AFP that staff heading to work Wednesday were turned back after a supervisor said Tigrayan forces had taken the facility and flights had been suspended. A security source at a Western embassy confirmed the takeover. Ethiopian Airlines has halted flights to the region as a result.

The alliance behind the move

The TPLF, which governs Tigray, announced Sunday it had formed a coalition with six other armed groups across Ethiopia with the stated goal of ousting Abiy. TPLF spokesperson Michael Asgedom said cooperation within the alliance could extend beyond politics, with joint military operations potentially becoming necessary to pursue its objectives.

The airport seizure – control of strategic infrastructure inside Mekelle itself – is the clearest sign yet that the new coalition’s ambitions could carry a military dimension.

Deteriorating peace deal

Tigrayan and federal forces fought a devastating 2020–2022 civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people before signing the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022. Both sides have since accused each other of violating that deal. In May, the TPLF seized control of Tigray’s regional government from the interim administration set up under the agreement – a move that further strained relations with Addis Ababa.

The airport takeover now raises fresh questions about whether the Pretoria agreement can hold.

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