Ethiopian government forces have moved into the northern Tigray town of Adwa without meeting resistance, residents said. The move came only days after the same forces took Adigrat from rebel fighters, and as flights began returning to the regional capital, Mekelle.
Residents of Adwa, a northwestern town about 40km (24 miles) from the Eritrean border, said federal troops and an allied militia arrived on Sunday, a day after fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) pulled out. TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa declined to comment.
Looting and fear spread through Adwa’s streets
A local resident who gave only one name, Aferwerki, said every shop in the town had closed. He added that many government institutions, including Adwa Hospital, were looted overnight.
Another resident, who asked not to be named, confirmed that TPLF forces had left Adwa. He said government troops had been deployed but had not yet reached the town centre, and described empty roads and residents who feared theft.
Drone strike on an Adwa hotel, according to ACLED
Conflict monitor ACLED said Ethiopian drone strikes hit a hotel in Adwa on October 4. Between five and nine people were wounded, including security personnel, and were taken to hospital.
Some ACLED sources suggested that TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael and other senior officials had been at the hotel. The monitor stressed that this information had not been verified.
Mekelle flights resume as Eritrea ties are cut
Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Mekelle on Sunday, the first since September 23, when a seven-group armed alliance including the TPLF began fighting Ethiopian forces and seized the airport. Last week, federal forces captured Mekelle after the TPLF said it had withdrawn and moved its regional administration elsewhere on a temporary basis.
At Mekelle airport, Getachew Reda, a former Tigray leader who now advises Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, told supporters greeting him and intelligence chief Redwan Hussein that he promised tangible change that would go beyond hope.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing the rebel alliance. Khartoum and Cairo deny involvement. Eritrea, which fought alongside federal forces in the 2020-2022 war, severed diplomatic ties with Ethiopia over the accusations last week.
