Overview
- Reports say Tigray forces took control of Mekele’s Alula Aba Nega airport on Wednesday and have pushed into Afar towns such as Abala and Erebti, where clashes with federal troops were reported.
- Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Mekele, Aksum and Shire because of the security situation, cutting a key link for civilians and aid in the north.
- Seven opposition groups, including the TPLF, Amhara Fano militias and the Oromo Liberation Army, announced an alliance on September 20 that aims to challenge the federal executive.
- Tigray authorities said their troops were countering an invasion by federal forces, while analysts warn past drone strikes and massed troops raise the likelihood of a stronger federal military response.
- The developments revive fears of a wider humanitarian crisis given the 2020–2022 war that the African Union estimated killed about 600,000 people and displaced large numbers across the region.