Regional forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region took control of the local airports on Wednesday, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to the region amid renewed tensions between Tigray authorities and the federal government.
Ethiopian Airlines said it had cancelled flights to Tigray’s capital Mekelle and the cities of Axum and Shire “due to the current situation,” without providing further details on the developments.
The regional government said it had instructed its fighters to enter into a “defensive war” after federal forces allegedly attacked Tigray on Tuesday using drones and heavy artillery. The takeover of the airports appeared to have taken place without significant fighting, with no gunfire reported in or around the facilities.
The airports serve as important links between Tigray and the rest of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Airlines is the only commercial carrier operating flights to the region, although chartered flights remain an alternative means of reaching Tigray.
The latest escalation comes three days after seven opposition groups, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), formed an alliance aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his government.
Abiy’s Prosperity Party retained power in a June general election that was boycotted by major opposition groups. The election took place against a backdrop of continuing political tensions, including disagreements between the federal government and Tigray authorities.
The TPLF previously fought federal forces during a devastating conflict in northern Ethiopia that lasted from 2020 until the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022. The conflict killed thousands of people and displaced millions before the parties agreed to a permanent cessation of hostilities.
However, tensions have resurfaced in recent months, with reports since July of drone attacks in Tigray. The regional government has accused federal forces of carrying out the attacks, raising concerns over the durability of the peace agreement.
Former Tigray lead peace negotiator Getachew Reda, who now serves as an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy, in a post on X, accused the TPLF of carrying out attacks in the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions despite efforts to prevent a return to war.
“It has taken over federal controlled airports in Tigray leading to the suspension of flights to and from Tigray. The TPLF politico-military leadership has obviously taken irresponsibility to new heights.”
Getachew Reda
The developments have heightened concerns that the fragile peace established after the 2022 agreement could come under further strain, particularly as political and military alliances emerge around the federal government and Tigray authorities.
AU Calls For Immediate De-escalation in Tigray
African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for restraint and the immediate de-escalation of tensions following the seizure of the airports and reports of renewed military activity in northern Ethiopia.
In a statement, Youssouf expressed “deep concern” over the renewed tensions and military escalation, including the seizure and occupation of the airports in Mekelle, Axum and Shire, the reported detention of federal personnel by TPLF forces and the resulting disruption of civilian air services.
The AU Chief also raised concern over reports of escalating hostilities in parts of South Tigray and the Afar region, as well as the formation of new political and military alliances that could destabilise the situation and reverse progress made towards silencing the guns since 2020.
Youssouf reaffirmed that the Agreement for Lasting Peace through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities, signed in Pretoria on November 2, 2022, between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF under AU auspices, remains the “cornerstone” of sustainable peace, stability and reconciliation in Ethiopia.
He said that the seizure and occupation of the civilian airports were inconsistent with the commitments and obligations contained in the Pretoria Agreement and risked eroding the gains achieved towards lasting peace.
The AU Commission Chairperson called for “utmost restraint” and the immediate cessation of actions that could further escalate tensions. He also urged the parties to resume direct talks without delay within the framework of the Pretoria Agreement.
Youssouf further called on Ethiopia’s neighbouring countries to avoid actions that could contribute to further escalation and instead support de-escalation, dialogue and confidence-building.
As part of efforts to protect the peace process, Youssouf has requested former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, the AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa, to urgently engage the parties and support renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions, promoting dialogue and safeguarding the peace process.
The renewed tensions place the Pretoria Agreement under fresh pressure, with the AU seeking to prevent the latest confrontation from developing into a wider conflict and to preserve the progress achieved since the 2022 cessation of hostilities.
