Ethiopia's forces retake Tigray capital Mekelle

Ethiopian federal forces have recaptured Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, as fighting reignites in what many feared was a fragile post-war settlement. Four African heads of state — from Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan — have issued a joint declaration calling for talks, signaling the conflict is drawing in the wider region. The fall of Mekelle raises fears of a return to the 2020–2022 war, which killed an estimated 300,000–500,000 people.