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Ethiopian official promises change in Tigray after troops retake regional capital
Ethiopian Airlines restored service after rebels left the city, and officials said renewed fighting has killed about 500,000 civilians since the 2020 war began.
On Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights to Mekelle for the first time since Tigray People's Liberation Front rebels seized the airport on Sept. 23.
Government-Allied fighters entered Mekelle on Oct. 3, forcing the rebels to withdraw and undermining the 2022 peace agreement that ended a two-year war.
Getachew Reda, an adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, promised 'visible change' upon arriving at Mekelle airport on Sunday alongside intelligence chief Redwan Hussein.
Ethiopia told the Security Council on Friday it is taking self-defense measures against alleged Eritrean occupation; Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh called this a 'deplorable declaration of war.'
Mounting tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea raise fears of a wider conflict, particularly as the 2020-2022 war caused about 500,000 civilian deaths from violence and famine.