Addis Ababa, Oct 2:
Explosions were heard overnight in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, raising fears that the renewed fighting in the country’s north could spread further south and threaten the capital.
Three diplomatic sources told Reuters that several blasts were heard in Addis Ababa. An opposition source said drone strikes had been carried out, although the Ethiopian government did not immediately confirm that the capital had come under attack.
The developments came as fighting intensified in northern Ethiopia. Pro-government forces said they had captured a town close to Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, indicating that the conflict is moving into increasingly sensitive territory.
The renewed violence has revived memories of Ethiopia’s devastating Tigray war, which ended with a 2022 peace agreement. The latest fighting has raised concerns that the fragile settlement could unravel and create another major humanitarian crisis.
The reports of explosions in Addis Ababa are particularly significant because the capital had largely remained removed from the direct fighting in the north. Any expansion of the conflict towards the capital would represent a major escalation.