Ethiopian troops recently secured Mekelle and other urban centers following a renewed outbreak of combat that has claimed hundreds of lives, including dozens in state air raids. Despite federal claims that military operations are concluding, TPLF forces maintain their retreat was tactical and have already initiated targeted counterattacks. Eyewitness reports confirm that heavy artillery, drone strikes, and fighting persist in northern and central zones such as the border town of Sheraro. Meanwhile, urban residents with newly restored communications report dealing with an immobilized economy that leaves basic necessities largely unaffordable.
Key points
Federal authorities maintain the conflict has concluded, but ongoing clashes and TPLF cou…: Federal authorities maintain the conflict has concluded, but ongoing clashes and TPLF counterattacks indicate military operations remain active.
Internal leadership divisions, defections, and diminishing civilian support heavily influ…: Internal leadership divisions, defections, and diminishing civilian support heavily influenced the TPLF's decision to rapidly evacuate key towns.
Civilians in secured cities remain trapped in severe economic distress while facing persi…: Civilians in secured cities remain trapped in severe economic distress while facing persistent instability across the wider region.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
- Published
Running a hair salon in Mekelle, capital of Ethiopia's troubled northern Tigray region, is not easy at the moment.
"People can't prioritise beauty over daily basic needs. For many residents, thinking about self-care is a luxury, at a time when they can't feed their kids," Firut Me'ar, who runs a salon in the city, tells the BBC.
After a brief war, the city is under the control of the national army but life is far from normal, says Firut, a single mother of a 10-year-old daughter.
"Things are better than during the war, but people still have no money, no morale. Business is almost non-existent," she says, her voice shaking with emotion.
Above all, she says people are worried about what the future holds. "There is uncertainty about what comes next."
Fighting broke out in late September between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the party that had run Tigray for decades, and the national army - a resumption of the two-year civil war that officially ended in 2022.
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