Overview
- Tigrayan fighters took control of Mekelle, Shire and reportedly Axum airports on Wednesday, and Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to those cities because of the security situation.
- The Tigray regional government said it had ordered its forces into a ‘defensive war’ after alleging federal drone and artillery strikes, and heavy fighting was reported in Afar towns including Abala and Erebti.
- The offensive follows the Sept. 20 announcement of a seven‑group coalition called the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival that says it aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
- Addis Ababa has accused Eritrea of financially backing members of the new alliance, an allegation Eritrea denies, and the African Union called for immediate de‑escalation while noting reports that federal personnel have been detained.
- The breakdown of the Pretoria Agreement risks large new displacement, cuts to humanitarian access because of suspended air links, and possible spillover into wider Horn of Africa tensions over Red Sea access and regional alignments.