Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Running Africa) — Ethiopian Airlines has suspended flights to three cities in Ethiopia’s Tigray region after Tigrayan forces reportedly seized control of Mekelle’s airport amid renewed fighting with federal forces.

The airline halted services between Addis Ababa and Mekelle, Axum and Shire on Wednesday, citing the “current situation” in Tigray.

The suspensions come as renewed clashes raise concerns over the stability of the peace agreement that ended the two-year Tigray war in November 2022.

Tigrayan Forces Reportedly Take Control of Mekelle Airport

Local sources cited by Reuters said Tigrayan forces took control of Alula Aba Nega Airport in Mekelle from federal police as fighting spreads across parts of Tigray and the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions.

The Tigray regional administration said its forces were acting defensively in response to attacks by federal forces. An adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, however, accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of launching an offensive.

The competing accounts underscore the deepening tensions between the two sides as the security situation deteriorates.

The escalation has renewed concerns over the November 2022 peace agreement, which ended a conflict that devastated northern Ethiopia but tensions had already intensified after the TPLF and six other armed groups announced an alliance seeking to remove Abiy’s government and establish a transitional administration. The latest clashes represent another challenge to efforts to maintain the peace settlement and prevent a broader return to conflict.

African Union Calls for De-Escalation in Ethiopia

The African Union has called for restraint and an immediate de-escalation of the renewed violence. Meanwhile, Ethiopian Airlines’ suspension of flights to Mekelle, Axum and Shire has disrupted a major transport link between Tigray and the rest of Ethiopia.

No date has been announced for the resumption of services.