Tigray Forces Seize Main Airport in Northern Ethiopia From Police, Residents Say

Forces linked to Ethiopia's Tigray region have seized the main airport in a part of northern Ethiopia from police, according to residents who spoke to the BBC, in an incident that has heightened fears of a return to full-scale conflict in the area.

The takeover comes amid escalating tensions between Ethiopia's federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the political and former military force that led the Tigray region during the devastating 2020-2022 civil war against federal and allied forces. That conflict, one of the deadliest of recent years, ended with a November 2022 peace agreement, but relations between Addis Ababa and Tigray's leadership have remained fragile since.

Details of the airport seizure, including the exact location and the circumstances under which police lost control of the facility, were not fully confirmed in initial reports. It remains unclear whether the incident involved direct clashes between the opposing forces or a more limited handover.

The development adds to a series of recent signs of renewed friction in the region, including internal TPLF political disputes and sporadic reports of troop movements, which have raised concern among residents and international observers that the fragile peace reached in 2022 could be at risk of unraveling.

Ethiopian federal authorities have not yet issued a detailed public statement addressing the reported seizure. The African Union and international partners who helped broker the 2022 peace deal have previously urged both sides to resolve outstanding disputes through dialogue rather than a return to armed conflict.