Drone Strike on Mekelle Injures 13 as Tigray Accuses Federal Government
A drone strike on Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia's Tigray region, injured at least 13 people, including five children, according to Tigrayan authorities. The attack, which hit a residential area early Thursday, damaged homes and sent residents to the hospital, raising fears that the region could slide back into war.
Birhanu Hailemariam, the emergency ward coordinator at Ayder Referral Hospital, told Africa News that at least 13 people were brought in following the strike, with three sustaining serious injuries. The injured ranged in age from two to 60, and included five children and seven women, he said.
Residents described the moment the strike hit. Almaz Wedu, a farmer, said the roof of her home collapsed around her. "I came suddenly and the roof fell on us while we were right here," she told Africa News. "Look at this house, it is completely destroyed. I don't know where it came from or why. I am a farmer, why is this being done to a farmer's home?"
Memhr Hadush, another resident, said the attack occurred only metres from his home while he was with his family. "My four children, my wife, my mother-in-law, and I were all injured, and we are now here in the hospital," he said.
TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa said the first drone targeted a residential area in Mekelle and later reported a second strike near Mekelle University, though no casualty figures were immediately available. Ethiopia's federal army did not immediately comment on the reported attacks, as reported by Africa News.
Accusations and Tensions
Tigrayan authorities have accused the federal government of launching the drone strike. In a statement on social media, they said the drone hit a farmer training center in Dandera village, some 15 kilometres outside Mekelle. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs the state, said there were no injuries in that strike and provided no further details, according to Africa News.
A local priest, who requested anonymity, told AFP that at least one person was killed and two others wounded in the Dandera strike. "I saw one fighter killed in the strike being carried away in a vehicle," he said, adding that the projectile had landed on farmland close to a school near a watering hole used for local farmers' livestock.
The regional authorities blame a recent series of deadly drone strikes on federal armed forces, as reported by BBC — World. Regional officials reported two drone strikes near Dandera on 18 August, saying one person died and another was injured, and a strike in Raya-Alamata district on 10 August left three dead, according to the same source.
Tensions between Tigray and Addis Ababa have been mounting in recent weeks, with both parties massing forces on either side of the regional border and trading accusations of trying to start a new conflict, as reported by Africa News. This comes less than four years after a peace deal ended a devastating civil war that claimed at least 600,000 lives, according to Africa News.
Ashenda Festival Cancelled
The three-day Ashenda festival, which takes place as Orthodox Christians commemorate the Virgin Mary, has been cancelled in Mekelle over fears of drone strikes. The festival traditionally draws thousands of young women dressed in their finery and was to culminate in a mass gathering at a stadium in Mekelle on Saturday.
Dori Asgedom, head of Tigray's culture and tourism bureau, announced the cancellation, saying the event would not go ahead because of "ongoing drone strikes and the threat of war," as reported by BBC — World. "The drone attack on innocent citizens in Mekelle city is an act that history will not forgive and should be condemned," he added.
Reflecting on Thursday's attack, the Tigray regional administration called for the "international community to break their silence" and take "urgent diplomatic action to prevent further escalation," according to BBC — World.
The government has not responded to a BBC request for comment on the accusations, as reported by BBC — World.
Context of Peace Deal and Political Tensions
In 2022, the TPLF and the federal government signed a deal ending two years of fighting that left hundreds of thousands dead, as reported by BBC — World. However, political tensions this year have raised fears the conflict could start again after the TPLF removed the interim administration set up under the peace deal and reinstated its pre-war council, according to the same source.
Both sides accuse each other of failing to implement the 2022 peace deal, as reported by BBC — World. Regional specialist Kjetil Tronvoll told Africa News that the strike could signal a tougher approach by the federal government toward the TPLF, likely an attempt to take out high-level TPLF targets.
Around one million people are still displaced in Tigray, and the region faces severe economic difficulties after federal subsidies were cut, according to Africa News. The TPLF remains the dominant political and military force in Tigray despite being barred from national political activity by the federal government, the same source reported.