EU calls for 'de-escalation' as Tigray rebels clash with Ethiopian forces

Near-empty streets in Mekelle, in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, where TPLF rebels say they had taken over the airport, seen on 23 September. REUTERS - Stringer

The European Union has called for an "immediate de-escalation" after Tigray rebels in Ethiopia confirmed they were in a state of "full-blown war" with the federal government. The separatists have seized control of several towns and airports, amid reports of heavy artillery attacks in neighbouring regions.

Tensions have been rising for months between the federal government and the authorities in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, who fought a devastating civil war in 2020-2022 that killed more than 600,000 people, according to African Union estimates.