This archive report was first published on 29 June 2021.
On June 28, 2021, Ethiopia's federal government declared a unilateral ceasefire in the Tigray region, marking a significant turning point in the nearly eight-month-old conflict.
The ceasefire announcement came as the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) marched into Mekelle, the regional capital, where residents danced as local officials fled the city.
The development comes about eight months after federal forces took control of the city in a military operation to depose the former Tigray ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
According to eyewitnesses, federal soldiers and police were fleeing Mekelle, with some raiding banks and commandeering vehicles belonging to private citizens.
Multiple witnesses described celebratory gunfire in Mekelle on Monday night as residents took to the streets hailing the TDF's arrival.
"Everybody is out of their house. Everybody is excited and they have music on the streets," one Mekelle resident said.
"Everybody has their flags out and music is playing. Everybody, I don’t know how they got it, but everybody has fireworks."
What led to the ceasefire? ¶
The war in Tigray began last November, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops in to oust the dissident regional leadership.
He said the move came in response to attacks by the regional ruling party, the TPLF, on federal army camps.
Abiy promised a swift victory, and federal troops took control of Mekelle in late November.
However, intense fighting has persisted throughout the region amid mounting reports of massacres and widespread sexual violence.
The TDF launched a major offensive last week coinciding with Ethiopia's highly anticipated national elections.
