Tigray tensions rise as Ethiopian Airlines suspends flights to three airports: Analysis

By Al Jazeera English

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Tigrayan forces have taken control of Mekelle airport in northern Ethiopia, prompting Ethiopian Airlines to suspend flights to three airports in Tigray — Mekelle, Axum and Shire — as tensions escalate in the region. The move comes after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) declared its 2022 peace deal with the federal government effectively dead. This week, the TPLF and six other armed groups announced the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, an alliance aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government, raising fears of a return to war after the 2020–2022 Tigray conflict killed about 600,000 people. Alan Boswell, Horn of Africa director at the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera the peace agreement has “completely broken down” and that the situation is “very, very dangerous”, with the alliance’s declaration coming close to a declaration of war. He said the alliance is more rhetorical than operational, but there are signs of military coordination along

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