Sawt Falasteen - US urges 'restraint' as Ethiopia's Tigray crisis rocks region

The fighting has triggered a breakdown in Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea and Egypt, which it accuses of supporting the rebels who have launched attacks against federal forces, sparking fears of a return to the devastating civil war of 2020-2022.

A diplomatic source told AFP that Sunday's mini-summit would bring together the presidents of Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as well as the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in Alamein, Egypt, on the sidelines of an African Business Forum.

The meeting comes a day after Ethiopian federal forces entered the capital of Tigray state -- long dominated by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels -- according to a humanitarian source.

Residents reporting that the region's rebels had abandoned the city.

Fighting erupted on September 23 in northern Ethiopia as the TPLF attacked neighbouring states, saying they were once again in a "full-blown war" with the federal government.

Federal forces and pro-government militias have pushed them back in recent days and were heading north towards the regional capital, Mekelle.

The conflict has prompted a regional diplomatic feud, with Ethiopia expelling 10 Eritrean diplomats and shutting its embassy in Asmara on Thursday.

Eritrea, which accuses landlocked Ethiopia of planning to invade and seize access to its coastline, responded that it would "sever all diplomatic ties" with its neighbour.

Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat without explanation, prompting a reciprocal move by Cairo.

"Increasing cross-border tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea have the potential to affect the entire region," the US State Department said Saturday in a statement.

"We strongly urge Ethiopia and Eritrea to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their neighbors, exercise maximum restraint and return to dialogue and cooperation."

The TPLF's leader Debretsion Gebremichael said in a video message on Thursday that "the war is regional and it is a war to control the Red Sea".

- 'Afraid for my life' -

A journalist in Mekelle told AFP on Saturday that "TPLF militants and leaders are leaving" the city.

"Ethiopian federal forces and allied forces have reportedly been observed in Mekelle city... across various locations," a humanitarian source told AFP, citing reports from staff on the ground.

He said government offices and police stations had been left without security personnel.

The journalist could not be reached for more details, as telecommunications networks have been severely disrupted in Tigray since hostilities, making the few bits of information that emerge difficult to verify.

Locals in Mekelle said they feared for their safety.

"I am concerned that government and public property could be exposed to looting because there are no security forces in the city," one local resident told AFP.

"Lawlessness could spread in the city, and I am also afraid for my life. I want us to quickly return to law and order," another resident said.

Neither the spokesperson for the Ethiopian National Defense Forces nor that of federal Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has responded to AFP's requests for comment.

The TPLF has long been the dominant force in Tigray, ousting a government-appointed administration this year.

The rebels' leader Debretsion implied on Thursday the group would continue guerrilla-style attacks as they did when Mekelle fell to government forces in 2020.

Their insurgent campaign ultimately led to the TPLF retaking the city in mid-2021.

"We operate under a strategy to strike the enemy wherever we choose," Debretsion said.

The TPLF ruled all of Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018, when it was marginalised with the rise of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who hails from the Oromia region.

The tensions led to a civil war from 2020 to 2022 -- one of the deadliest in the world in recent times -- that left more than 600,000 dead, according to the African Union.

The Pretoria peace agreement of 2022, brokered by African institutions and Washington, maintained an uneasy calm until last year, but was never fully implemented.

C.AbuSway--SF-PST