15th December, 2020
The Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority has reopened the airspace in the troubled Tigray region in the north of the country.
The Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted a message on the Facebook page of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority as saying the airspace was reopened from 2 PM local time on Monday.
It said that the reinstatement was due to the “successful accomplishment of the law enforcement mission by the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF)”.
It said “domestic and international flights that cross the airspace of the northern part of Ethiopia are now open for services”.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed went to Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray region, on Sunday, his first visit since the fighting between forces loyal to the Tigray regional government and ENDF.
The Prime Minister said his visit for a meeting with the senior military commanders was meant to discuss the restoration of critical services.
“I attended a meeting with the commanders of our national defence forces and the Tigray administration. The fundamental services of telecommunications and electricity will be restored,” Prime Minister Abiy said.
He said the government was also working on providing humanitarian assistance to the residents of Tigray.
The Ethiopian military launched an offensive against the Tigray regional administration on 4 November after forces under the command of the Tigray state administration launched an offensive against ENDF.
The fighting has led to the displacement of some 50,000 people who have fled to neighbouring Sudan.