Portugal Colonial - 'I fear it could drag on': anxiety takes hold in Ethiopian city wrested from rebels

"The fact that the war is beginning to wind down quickly brings relief," the Mekelle resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP.

"On the other hand, as it is seems to be becoming regionalised, I fear it could drag on," he added, pointing to widespread fears that neighbouring Eritrea might soon be drawn into the conflict, as it has in the past.

Since the army retook Mekelle from the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) with the help of an allied militia on Saturday, internet and phone service has finally been restored to the city for the first time since fighting broke out again on September 23.

With it came the return of mobile payment services, while residents are hoping that the banks will open their doors again from Monday.

But no widespread celebrations greeted the Ethiopian soldiers nor their paramilitary allies in the Tigray Peace Force (TPF) as they entered the city aboard trucks on Saturday, a local journalist told AFP.

Although caution was the order of the day, some residents braved the outside world on Sunday to take stock of the situation.

Conversation flowed freely with their fellow Tigrayans in the TPF, who had taken up positions on the avenues and several key sites, including the northern region's presidency building and the police headquarters.

- Call for calm -

All, however, steered well clear of the federal Ethiopian soldiers on guard at the university and the Tigray Martyrs Memorial Monument, which commemorates the TPLF's 16 years of struggle against the Marxist-Leninist Derg government.

After finally toppling the Derg in 1991 following the civil war, the TPLF would go on to lead Ethiopia until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed rose to power in 2018.

Ahmed, who hails from the Oromia region, would go on to sideline the TPLF from Ethiopian politics. Tensions boiled over with the devastating civil war of 2020-2022, whose long shadow looms over the fresh outbreak of fighting.

Having taken control of a radio station, the TPF's "Public and Military Relations Department" is broadcasting a message on a loop calling on the people of Mekelle to remain calm and united.

The address also urges locals to refrain from attempting to take revenge against those who supported the TPLF or "in connection with past disagreements".

Most of Mekelle's stores remained shuttered on Sunday, with several business owners taking pains to hide their stocks from Thursday as the federal forces drew closer.

Once the TPLF forces left on Saturday, looters took the opportunity to target government offices and several private residences before Mekelle's new masters arrived.

"The lack of security personnel raises serious concerns about safety," Mekelle resident Abreha said.

"The ongoing conflict is dividing Tigray in two," he said, with the region split between the part controlled by the TPLF and those areas where the pro-government TPF holds sway.

And as the presidents of Egypt, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea -- all countries with a chequered history with Ethiopia -- met on Sunday to discuss the risk of a wider war, Abreha could not help but worry that the current fighting could spiral.

"There is fear that it could turn into a wider regional conflict," he said.

A.F.Rosado--PC