MEKELLE — Concerns are rising over the whereabouts of Ethiopian Federal Police officers previously deployed to secure key infrastructure in Tigray, including Mekelle Airport, after reports surfaced that their location remains unknown.
Local observers and observers monitoring the situation have expressed growing anxiety regarding the safety of the personnel, with unconfirmed reports suggesting they may have been detained or transferred across the border to Eritrean authorities. No official statement has been issued by federal or regional authorities to confirm these claims.
The situation is further complicated by a communications blackout across the region. Local sources report that mobile network and internet services were shut down late yesterday evening, around 10:20 PM local time.
According to regional reports, security forces aligned with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) allegedly detained and coerced senior officials of Ethio Telecom’s Northern Region branch to enforce the shutdown.
The disruption in communication services has severely hampered efforts to verify the status and safety of the missing police officers, as well as broader developments on the ground. Neither the Federal Police Commission nor TPLF leadership has officially responded to the reports.
