KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Government-allied fighters entered Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, a witness said Sunday, after the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front announced its withdrawal following renewed fighting.
asserted
Front → ally → fighting
The TPLF last month seized the Mekelle airport and the city, one of Ethiopia’s largest.
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TPLF → seize → Ethiopia
In a statement Saturday, it said its forces had pulled out.
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forces → say → statement
They had done so in the previous two-year war, which ended with a peace agreement in 2022, apparently to spare the city from destruction.
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which → do → destruction
Ethiopian Airlines had suspended flights to Mekelle and the Tigrayan cities of Axum and Shire after the rebels seized the airport.
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rebels → suspend → airport
The African Union urged restraint, warning that renewed tensions threatened the 2022 agreement.
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tensions → urge → agreement
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has tried and failed to subdue Tigray’s rebellious leaders in recent months, with TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael openly challenging him.
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Gebremichael → try → him
Debretsion said Thursday that the fighting was a “continuation of the previous war” and that his fighters would keep attacking and defending Tigray from its enemies.
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fighters → say → enemies
Residents report looting and entry of government-allied fighters
After federal troops take control of Mekelle, Abiy is very likely to leave regional security in the hands of the Tigray Peace Force, which comprises former members of the TPLF armed wing, Tigray Defense Forces, according to Jalale Getachew Birru, an analyst of Ethiopia for ACLED, an independent global monitor that collects, analyzes and maps data on conflict.
uncertain
that → report → conflict
The Tigray Peace Force is fighting alongside federal troops against the TPLF.
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Force → fight → TPLF
Severe disruptions to internet and cellphone networks have made gathering and verifying information from Tigray difficult, although some connectivity was reported Sunday.
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connectivity → make → Tigray
Residents of Mekelle told The Associated Press on Saturday that federal forces had retaken the airport, although details were scanty.
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details → tell → airport
Civilians looted government offices and hauled away equipment from police headquarters in Mekelle as TPLF-allied fighters withdrew, a local business owner, who witnessed the departures and looting, said Sunday.
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who → loot → departures
The looting targeted the TPLF administration office, the regional police headquarters and some shops, Filmon Equar Hailu said.
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Hailu → target → office
Speaking by phone from Mekelle, Filmon said he saw some TPLF-allied fighters with light weapons leaving the city, some on foot.
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some → speak → foot
Departures began in small groups about three days ago and continued through Saturday afternoon, he said.
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he → begin → afternoon
Small groups of fighters from the Tigray Peace Force entered Mekelle, Filmon said, adding he heard celebratory gunfire overnight into Sunday morning.
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he → enter → morning
The TPLF is one of seven opposition groups that declared an alliance late last month whose objective is to remove Abiy.
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objective → declare → Abiy
He rose to the premiership in 2018, and was reelected earlier this year.
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He → rise → 2018
In addition to once being Tigray’s ruling party, the TPLF was the dominant group in a coalition that ruled Ethiopia between 1991 and 2018.
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that → rule → 1991
The fighting has brought renewed hardship to civilians still recovering from the previous war.
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fighting → bring → war
Residents have described fears of renewed isolation following the suspension of flights.
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Residents → describe → flights
They also reported that roads connecting Tigray and Afar had been closed to civilian traffic.
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roads → report → traffic
Renewed fighting has regional implications
The conflict is also testing regional alliances, with Ethiopia charging that the TPLF is likely getting support from Eritrea and Egypt.
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TPLF → have → Eritrea
Relations between Ethiopia and Egypt have been cold in recent years because of a large power dam on the Nile River that is opposed by Cairo over concerns it could diminish the amount of water received in Egypt.
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it → oppose → Egypt
Abiy also angered Eritrea over his stated wish for Ethiopia to gain sovereign access to the Eritrean Red Sea port of Assab.
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Ethiopia → anger → Assab
Ethiopia on Thursday closed its embassy in Eritrea and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave Addis Ababa, the federal capital, citing their alleged “involvement in activities that pose a direct threat to Ethiopia’s national security.”
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that → close → security
Eritrea retaliated by saying it was cutting diplomatic ties with its neighbor.
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it → retaliate → neighbor
Egypt denies supporting the TPLF, and Eritrea says Abiy is trying to externalize an internal conflict.
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Abiy → deny → conflict
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki traveled to Egypt on a working visit at the invitation of his counterpart there, Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said Saturday.
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Afwerki → travel → counterpart
Afwerki and President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi would “discuss further enhancement of bilateral ties during the visit,” Yemane said on social platform X.
____ Kazziha reported from Nairobi, Kenya.
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Kazziha → discuss → Nairobi
The Aporia
