Renewed Tensions in Tigray: Flights Cancelled Amid Cash Crisis

Ethiopian Airlines cancelled flights to Tigray as renewed clashes raise fears of conflict. Residents in Mekelle face cash shortages with banks and ATMs running empty. Despite a peace pact signed in 2022, tensions over contested territories and disarmament continue to simmer in the region.

Flights to the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray were abruptly cancelled by Ethiopian Airlines on Thursday, amid rising concerns of rekindling conflict in the contested region.

The move follows the resurgence of clashes between the national army and Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces. The region endured a brutal two-year conflict until a peace agreement was reached in 2022, which has yet to fully quell regional tensions.

Meanwhile, residents in Mekelle, Tigray's capital, faced a dire cash crunch, with long queues forming outside empty banks and ATMs. Diplomatic efforts continue as sensitive issues like territorial disputes and disarmament remain unresolved challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)