Ethiopia’s federal government has declared the conflict in Tigray over after national forces seized control of the regional capital, Mekelle, less than two weeks after renewed fighting erupted in late September.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has rejected Addis Ababa’s claims of victory, describing its pullout from the city as a tactical withdrawal and vowing to launch a counteroffensive from the surrounding highlands.

Despite the federal government’s declaration, conditions on the ground remain volatile. Residents in Mekelle and neighbouring towns report ongoing artillery exchanges, drone strikes, and heightened anxiety, particularly amid sightings of Eritrean troops operating in the region.

Political and security analysts remain divided over the trajectory of the conflict. Some observers argue that the TPLF has suffered significant losses in firepower and popular backing, leaving it capable of little more than a low-level insurgency. Others, however, caution that the group’s deep-rooted guerrilla experience and newly forged rebel alliances could sustain a protracted war.

–ChannelAfrica–