Ethiopian Conflict Reignites as Tigray Rebels Seize Mekelle Airport

According to Euronews, fighting in Ethiopia has violently reignited after Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces seized control of the airport in Mekelle and engaged in active combat with federal troops at two distinct locations within the Afar region. In direct response to the escalating security crisis, Ethiopian Airlines has officially suspended all scheduled flights to three airports across the Tigray region. This sudden outbreak of hostilities marks an apparent and critical collapse of the landmark Pretoria Agreement, the peace accord that previously brought a formal end to the devastating 2020-2022 civil war in the country. This renewed violence carries significant implications for European Union foreign policy and humanitarian strategy, given Brussels' extensive diplomatic and financial investments in the Horn of Africa's stability. European policymakers have long championed the Pretoria framework as essential for regional security, trade corridors, and migration management. The sudden breakdown of the ceasefire threatens to destabilise neighbouring states, disrupt critical regional supply chains, and trigger fresh displacement waves, prompting renewed scrutiny from international monitors regarding human rights and civilian protection. For citizens, businesses, and international aid agencies operating in the region, the renewed conflict threatens to isolate Tigray economically and humanitarianly once again. The suspension of commercial aviation severs vital transport links, while renewed insecurity hampers the delivery of emergency aid. Policymakers and diplomats are now scrambling to salvage the peace process, with international observers closely watching for emergency diplomatic interventions and upcoming security evaluations by regional bodies to prevent a descent into full-scale war.

Source: Euronews. Read the original report ↗