Ethiopian Police: Mekelle Secures Post-TPLF Administration

• Ethiopian federal police have entered Mekelle, the Tigray regional capital, following the TPLF's withdrawal and are calling for resident cooperation to establish a new administration.
• Local government offices remain closed, and no new administration has formally taken office, despite the presence of federal police and the Tigray Peace Force.
• The TPLF's withdrawal, similar to its actions in 2022, was reportedly intended to spare Mekelle from destruction after the group had recently seized the city and its airport.
• Reports indicate Eritrean troops have entered Ethiopia, raising fears of broader conflict, though Eritrea has not confirmed these movements and has accused Ethiopia of threatening regional peace over Red Sea access.
• Diplomatic ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea were recently severed after Ethiopia expelled Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara.

The current security landscape in Mekelle, with the Ethiopian police Mekelle post-TPLF administration taking shape, reflects a critical transition period for the Tigray regional capital as efforts for order restoration continue.

Ethiopia's federal police have deployed throughout Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, following the recent withdrawal of anti-government forces. On Friday, federal officers utilized loudspeakers to appeal to local residents for assistance in establishing a new administrative structure in the city. This move comes after government-allied fighters entered Mekelle over the past weekend, securing the area after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) announced its departure.

Despite the presence of federal police and the government-allied Tigray Peace Force, which is responsible for maintaining security, local government offices in Mekelle remained closed on Friday. Members of a prospective new civilian administration, who arrived with federal police on Thursday, were reportedly awaiting further instructions. The Tigray Peace Force, notably including former members of the TPLF's armed wing, had previously enforced an overnight curfew on Wednesday. By Friday morning, no formal administration had yet taken office, and essential services such as Tigray's television and radio stations have been off-air since the TPLF's pullout. The government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has pledged to restore banking, electricity, telecommunications, and water services, though no specific timeline has been provided. Additionally, plans are in place to register individuals involved in the conflict and facilitate their return to civilian life.

The recent events in Mekelle are set against a backdrop of escalating conflict that has undermined the 2022 peace agreement. Last month, the TPLF had aligned itself with six other opposition groups, forming an alliance with the stated goal of ousting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. This period saw a significant increase in hostilities, during which the rebel forces successfully seized control of Mekelle, one of Ethiopia's largest cities, and its airport.

The TPLF's decision to withdraw its forces from Mekelle, announced on Saturday, appears to be a strategic move aimed at preventing further destruction to the city. This action mirrors a similar withdrawal undertaken by the group during the previous two-year conflict, which concluded with the 2022 peace accord. The current security landscape in Mekelle, with the Ethiopian police Mekelle post-TPLF administration taking shape, reflects a critical transition period for the Tigray regional capital as efforts for order restoration continue.

The situation in Tigray is further complicated by reports of Eritrean troops entering Ethiopian territory, raising concerns about a wider regional conflict. A commander from the Tigray Peace Force, Ermiyas Ababu, cited reports from his personnel indicating that Eritrean forces entered Adigrat on Tuesday and Idaga Hamus on Wednesday. Separately, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) monitoring group reported that Eritrean troops crossed the border at Zelambesa on Wednesday and subsequently came under drone attack at Guada while en route to Idaga Hamus, with these strikes attributed to Ethiopia's military. The Associated Press has not independently verified these accounts.

Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel declined to directly confirm or deny the border crossings, stating that Eritrea is not in the business of refuting "wild allegations or narratives." However, he accused Ethiopia of jeopardizing regional peace through its pursuit of "sovereign access to the sea." This accusation comes amidst a recent severing of Ethiopia Eritrea diplomatic ties, which occurred last week after Ethiopia expelled ten Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara. Eritrea had previously denied Ethiopian allegations of supporting the TPLF, despite Eritrean troops having fought alongside Ethiopian federal forces during the 2020-2022 Tigray war. During that conflict, AP reporting documented accounts from survivors and witnesses alleging killings, rape, and looting by Eritrean soldiers, claims which Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki dismissed as "a fantasy" in 2023. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reiterated on Monday that landlocked Ethiopia must secure access to the Red Sea, a stance that continues to fuel regional anxieties.

Lawyers advising clients with operations or interests in Ethiopia's Tigray region should closely monitor the evolving administrative structure, security landscape, and re-establishment of essential services in Mekelle following the TPLF withdrawal. This transition period presents significant operational risks and compliance uncertainties, further complicated by the potential for wider regional conflict involving Eritrea and Ethiopia's pursuit of Red Sea access.

Source: Original reporting via Associated Press