Ethiopian federal forces and an allied militia moved into the northwestern town of Adwa on Sunday after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front withdrew from the area. The town, situated approximately 40 kilometers from Eritrea’s border, saw shops close and reports of looting at government institutions including the local hospital following the military advance. A conflict monitoring organization documented drone strikes targeting a location in Adwa earlier in the month that caused injuries, though claims regarding the presence of senior TPLF officials at the site could not be independently verified.
The entry into Adwa represents the latest territorial gain for Ethiopian government forces in the northern region. Earlier in the week, federal troops had captured Adigrat, and the previous week saw the capture of Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital. The TPLF confirmed its withdrawal from Mekelle and indicated the relocation of its regional administration to an undisclosed location.
Commercial aviation services to Mekelle resumed on Sunday when Ethiopian Airlines reestablished flights from Addis Ababa, marking the first service since late September when an armed alliance that included the TPLF began fighting Ethiopian forces and took control of the airport. Officials accompanying Addis Ababa’s intelligence chief visited Mekelle airport to address supporters, pledging substantive development initiatives in the region.
Ethiopia has alleged that external actors including Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt provided backing to the rebel alliance. Sudan and Egypt have refuted the allegations, while Eritrea, which previously supported Ethiopian federal forces during an earlier conflict, terminated diplomatic relations with Ethiopia in response to the accusations made earlier in the week.
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