Overview
- Armed fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front took control of Mek'ele airport on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, overcoming federal troops who had been securing the site.
- Seven armed groups have formed a new coalition that publicly declared its intent to unseat Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, linking the airport capture to a broader political challenge to the central government.
- Clashes have also been reported in the neighbouring Afar region near the Eritrean border, showing the fighting is not confined to the Tigray regional capital.
- The Ethiopian government has accused Eritrea and Sudan of supplying weapons to the rebels, and analysts say federal forces are likely to intensify strikes, including using armed drones, to try to retake territory.
- The seizure undercuts the fragile 2022 ceasefire that ended a deadly 2020–2022 war and raises urgent humanitarian worries about renewed mass displacement, restricted aid access, and further civilian harm.