Tigray insurgency withers as federal forces enter Shire and resume flights to Mekelle
Ethiopia and Eritrea each accused the other of starting a war, as Eritrean forces entered Tigray and the Ethiopian army pushed back the Tigray People's Liberation Front and seized Mekelle. Witnesses said the rebels had lost Shire and Adigrat, with pro-government forces entering Shire on Friday afternoon, and Ethiopian Airlines said flights to the Tigrayan capital would resume from Sunday. A regional specialist told AFP the TPLF was "withering" and that the government would likely appoint a new interim administration for the region.
Why it matters: The mutual accusations of aggression and the Eritrean troop presence in Tigray place the fighting within the briefing's theme of interstate conflict and regional escalation.