ETHIOPIA · SECURITY
Key Facts
- —The country Ethiopia is a landlocked Horn of Africa nation whose northern Tigray region has seen renewed war since 23 September, along the border with Eritrea.
- —What happened On Sunday 11 October, Ethiopian Airlines resumed regular Mekelle flights, reconnecting Tigray’s capital with Addis Ababa, the state Ethiopian News Agency reported.
- —Who flew in The first flight carried Getachew Reda, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s adviser on East African affairs, and senior military and security officials, Kulu Media reported.
- —His message On television on Sunday, Getachew declared the war over and said a federal command post would run Tigray for six months, Kulu Media reported.
- —Still grounded Flights to Axum and Shire, two other Tigray towns, are expected to resume soon, but no date has been announced.
- —Prediction markets Polymarket bettors gave an 18.5% chance that Eritrea invades Ethiopia by 31 October, and 32.5% by 31 December (12 October, 2:00 a.m. ET).
- —For Americans The US State Department tells citizens not to travel to the Tigray region for any reason, its highest warning level.
Ethiopian Airlines resumed Mekelle flights on Sunday 11 October, reconnecting the capital of Ethiopia’s war-hit Tigray region with Addis Ababa after nearly three weeks. The first plane carried Getachew Reda, an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and senior officers, the independent news site Kulu Media reported.
For Americans, the flights show Addis Ababa reasserting control in Tigray, near a border where it accuses Eritrea of sending troops. Washington still tells its citizens not to travel to Tigray for any reason.
Who Flew Into Mekelle on Sunday
The state Ethiopian News Agency said regular Mekelle flights from Addis Ababa resumed on 11 October. It said residents welcomed the return of a link that eases travel, family visits and trade.
Getachew Reda was on board the first resumed flight, Kulu Media reported on Sunday. On Saturday, Abiy had reappointed him as his East Africa affairs adviser with the rank of minister.
Getachew led Tigray’s interim administration after the 2022 peace deal and was once a senior figure in the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). He now serves the federal government that is fighting his old party.
Kulu Media also named Abraham Belay, a former Tigray interim administration official, and Redwan Hussein. The Tigray news site Wegahta Facts said Redwan heads Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service.
Brigadier General Gebreegziabher Beyene, also on board, commands the Tigray Peace Force, a Tigrayan armed group fighting on the federal side, Wegahta Facts said. The purpose of the visit had not been announced.
What Getachew Said About the War
In an interview with the private broadcaster TBS aired on Sunday, Getachew declared the latest war in Tigray over, Kulu Media reported. He said a federal command post would run the region for six months.
That period is meant to restore security, public services and aid deliveries, and to prepare a return to civilian rule, he said. He added that parties could use it to prepare for elections, for which no date has been set.
Getachew said returning displaced people, especially to Western Tigray, would be a priority. He urged TPLF members not implicated in crimes to join the recovery and the vote.
He also said senior TPLF leaders had pulled back towards the Mereb River on the Eritrean border and could not return to Mekelle.
The TPLF, led by Debretsion Gebremichael, rejects the claim that the war is over. Its vice chairman, Amanuel Assefa, warned on social media of further fighting, Kulu Media reported.
Why the Flights Stopped and the Eritrea Standoff
Ethiopian Airlines halted flights to Tigray’s airports after the TPLF launched a new offensive on 23 September. Federal troops later retook Mekelle airport.
The TPLF ruled Tigray for decades and fought a war against the federal government from 2020 to 2022. That war ended with the Pretoria Agreement, signed in November 2022 with African Union mediation.
The new fighting has pulled in Eritrea, the Red Sea state ruled by President Isaias Afwerki since independence in 1993.
Ethiopia’s foreign ministry told the UN Security Council that Eritrea had invaded, The Reporter wrote in Amharic on Sunday. The paper said Eritrean troops had pushed about 60 kilometres into Ethiopia.
Eritrea’s government dismissed the claim and said its soldiers had not crossed the border, the paper added. Foreign Minister Osman Saleh sent his own letter to the Security Council on Saturday, the Eritrean Information Ministry’s website reported.
Earlier, ACLED, a monitor that tracks political violence worldwide, reported Ethiopian drone strikes on Eritrean forces on 7 and 8 October. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN wants to stop the conflict from taking on an international dimension, The Reporter wrote.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, bettors gave an 18.5% chance that Eritrea invades Ethiopia by 31 October, up 4.5 percentage points in 24 hours. The price for an invasion by 31 December stood at 32.5% (12 October, 2:00 a.m. ET).
The two contracts had drawn US$91,015 in bets in total. The resumed Mekelle flights point to calmer conditions inside Tigray, but bettors still price a real risk of a wider clash.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for US Readers
For travellers, the resumed Mekelle flights change little yet. The US State Department keeps Tigray at Level 4, Do Not Travel, citing armed conflict, unrest and crime.
The advisory says border roads with Eritrea are closed, and US government staff need special permission to leave Addis Ababa for most places. Americans with family in Tigray have an air link again, but the warning stands.
Ethiopian Airlines, the state-owned carrier, flies Boeing jets and on 30 September announced a deal for 10 Boeing freighters. A stable home network matters for its growth and for US suppliers.
A war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which has a long Red Sea coast, could add risk near a key shipping lane. It could also strain aid operations in the Horn of Africa that Washington has long funded.
What Is Not Known
Ethiopian Airlines has not said how many Mekelle flights it will operate each day, or when Axum and Shire will reopen. The federal government has not released a formal decree on the six-month command post Getachew described.
Where senior TPLF leaders are now, and where Eritrean troops stand near the border, remains unclear. Eritrea has not commented on the resumed flights or the federal visit to Mekelle.
More: Ethiopia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have Mekelle flights resumed?
Yes. Ethiopian Airlines resumed regular flights between Addis Ababa and Mekelle, the capital of Tigray, on Sunday 11 October, according to the state Ethiopian News Agency.
Why were Mekelle flights suspended?
Ethiopian Airlines halted Mekelle flights, and those to Shire and Axum, after renewed fighting broke out in Tigray on 23 September. Federal troops have since regained Mekelle.
Who is Getachew Reda?
He led Tigray’s interim administration after the 2022 Pretoria peace deal. He is now Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s adviser on East African affairs, with the rank of minister.
Can Americans travel to Tigray now?
The US State Department still says do not travel to the Tigray region for any reason. The resumed Mekelle flights do not change that Level 4 warning.
Is Eritrea at war with Ethiopia?
Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of sending troops across the border, and Eritrea denies it. Polymarket bettors gave an 18.5% chance of an Eritrean invasion of Ethiopia by 31 October.
Sources: Ethiopian News Agency, Mekelle flights, 11 October 2026; Ethiopian News Agency, first passengers in Mekelle, 11 October 2026; Kulu Media, first resumed flight, 11 October 2026; Kulu Media, Getachew Reda interview, 11 October 2026; Wegahta Facts, 11 October 2026; Horn Diplomat, 11 October 2026; Ethiopian News Agency, Getachew Reda reappointed, 10 October 2026; The Reporter (Amharic), 11 October 2026; Shabait, Eritrean Ministry of Information, 10 October 2026; US State Department, Ethiopia travel advisory, 27 August 2026; Ethiopian Airlines, Boeing freighter agreement, 1 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief