Getachew Reda, a former Tigray leader now serving as an advisor to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, pledged on Sunday to deliver "visible change" in the Tigray region. His comments came as government-allied units successfully retook the regional capital, Mekelle, following a period of renewed hostilities with opposition forces.
The shift in control was marked by the resumption of Ethiopian Airlines flights to Mekelle on Sunday. This was the first time flights had operated to the city since September 23, when rebels associated with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) seized the airport. The rebels withdrew from the area on October 3, allowing government-allied fighters to enter the city. Getachew Reda, accompanied by intelligence chief Redwan Hussein, addressed supporters at the airport, promising that the government's efforts would result in a transformation "beyond mere hope," though he did not provide specific details on the nature of these changes.
This latest resurgence of fighting has cast doubt on the 2022 peace agreement that brought an end to a two-year conflict in the region. Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium have estimated that the 2020-2022 war resulted in approximately 500,000 civilian deaths due to violence, famine, and the widespread collapse of health services. The current political climate remains volatile, as the TPLF recently formed an alliance with six other opposition groups last month with the stated goal of ousting Prime Minister Abiy.
International concerns are mounting, with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urging all involved parties on Friday to cease hostilities and return to dialogue, warning that the conflict could further destabilize the broader region. Simultaneously, Ethiopia informed the U.N. Security Council that it is engaging in self-defense measures, accusing Eritrea of sending troops across the border to occupy parts of northern Ethiopia. While Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos did not specify the exact nature of the measures being taken, Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh urged the council to condemn what he termed a "deplorable declaration of war" by Ethiopia. Eritrea has consistently denied allegations that it supports the TPLF, and the current dispute has further deepened the rift between two nations that previously fought together against the TPLF during the 2020-2022 war.
