Ethiopian commander reports drone strikes in Tigray as markets reopen in regional capital

MEKELLE, Ethiopia (AP) — Government-allied forces fought to reclaim more territory in Ethiopia's Tigray region with support from drone strikes on Tuesday, a commander said, as markets reopened in the regional capital following the withdrawal of anti-government forces.

Ermiyas Ababu, a Tigray Peace Force commander in the zone containing regional capital Mekelle, said his group was working with the Ethiopian National Defense Force to expand its control after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, announced its pullout from Mekelle over the weekend.

The front joined six other opposition groups last month in an alliance seeking to oust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Fighting between that alliance and government forces escalated late last month, undermining a November 2022 peace agreement that ended a two-year war.

Ermiyas said his group's “mission is to control the state of Tigray and free it from the TPLF rebels.” He said his side was conducting drone strikes, without specifying whether he meant Tigray Peace Force personnel or federal forces. Ermiyas also alleged that Eritrean troops were present in northern Tigray.

The AP could not independently verify his account of the drone strikes or the alleged Eritrean military presence.

Eritrea has denied Ethiopia's allegations that the neighboring country is supporting the TPLF, saying Ethiopia is trying to find a scapegoat for its internal conflict. Last week, Eritrea announced it was severing diplomatic ties after Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara.

In Mekelle, Ermiyas said his group and federal troops had established control and that his fighters were policing the city to prevent looting. Government-allied fighters entered Mekelle on Sunday after the TPLF announced its withdrawal. The Tigray Peace Force includes former members of the TPLF’s armed wing.

Residents described a tentative revival of commerce, with pedestrians returning to the streets and motorized rickshaws carrying passengers again. But limited supplies and a shortage of cash continued to hamper daily life.

“The market has resumed, but for everyone to gain confidence, all markets need to open fully,” Mekelle resident Ahmedin Mohammed said.

“There are only limited essential groceries available,” he said, adding that motorized rickshaws, known locally as bajajs, had made local travel easier at affordable fares.

Birhanu Araya, another resident, said access to money remained a pressing concern after he bought household supplies.

“The main issue for the public right now is the lack of cash. If there were cash, business activity would pick up even more,” he said. “People were staying home out of fear, but now there is some movement.”

The hardships also weighed on some of the fighters who entered the city. Speaking to the AP in Mekelle on Sunday, Tigray Peace Force member Alemat Solomon described little cause for celebration.

“The youth of Tigray have been left behind compared to the rest of Ethiopia. They have been set back. We weren’t building and developing. We were at war,” he said in Tigrinya.

The renewed conflict has threatened the 2022 peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year war. TPLF fighters seized Mekelle’s airport on Sept. 23 , prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire. Federal forces subsequently retook the airport.

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Filmon Equar Hailu in Mekelle and Amir Aman Kiyaro in Hamburg, Germany, contributed to this report.