Ethiopia's government retakes Mekelle after opposition fighters withdraw from Tigray capital
Description: (5 Oct 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mekelle, Ethiopia - 4 October 2026
1. Berhe Guma, a Tigray Peace Force commander, riding in a pickup truck, saying (Tigrinya): “We will not be ruled against our will.”
2. Residents clapping as Berhe and other fighters pass in pickup truck
3. Various of Tigray Peace Force fighters moving in vehicles
4. Various of Alemat Solomon, a Tigray Peace Force member, standing alongside other fighters
5. SOUNDBITE (Tigrinya) Alemat Solomon, Tigray Peace Force member:
"Personally, I don't feel much joy. The streets themselves are quiet, unlike before. Shops are closed. It is deeply saddening to see it like this. The youth of Tigray have been left behind compared to the rest of Ethiopia. They have been set back. We weren’t building and developing. We were at war.”
6. Various of Tigray Peace Force fighters
7. SOUNDBITE (Tigrinya) Abrha Shumeye, Tigray Peace Force commander:
"Our main objective is to eliminate the influence that the ruling group in Tigray held over the people. Until now, the people of Tigray have been living in darkness. They are fighting to break free from it. Through persistent struggle, we achieved our goal, and the people can finally feel relief.”
8. Various of Tigray Peace Force fighters moving through Mekelle
STORYLINE:
Fighters from the Tigray Peace Force, a breakaway armed group, entered Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
Among the fighters was Berhe Guma, a former member of the Tigray forces under the Tigray People’s Liberation Front who now serves as a commander in the splinter group.
“We will not be ruled against our will,” Berhe said as he passed through the city.
Some residents stood along the roadside and clapped as fighters passed in pickup trucks on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Alemat Solomon, a member of the group, described quiet streets and closed shops, saying years of fighting had held back young people in Tigray.
“We weren’t building and developing. We were at war,” Solomon said.
Abrha Shumeye, a commander responsible for personnel and logistics for the group’s Front 5, said its objective was to end the influence of Tigray’s ruling group.
He claimed the fighters had achieved that goal.
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RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mekelle, Ethiopia - 4 October 2026
1. Berhe Guma, a Tigray Peace Force commander, riding in a pickup truck, saying (Tigrinya): “We will not be ruled against our will.”
2. Residents clapping as Berhe and other fighters pass in pickup truck
3. Various of Tigray Peace Force fighters moving in vehicles
4. Various of Alemat Solomon, a Tigray Peace Force member, standing alongside other fighters
5. SOUNDBITE (Tigrinya) Alemat Solomon, Tigray Peace Force member:
"Personally, I don't feel much joy. The streets themselves are quiet, unlike before. Shops are closed. It is deeply saddening to see it like this. The youth of Tigray have been left behind compared to the rest of Ethiopia. They have been set back. We weren’t building and developing. We were at war.”
6. Various of Tigray Peace Force fighters
7. SOUNDBITE (Tigrinya) Abrha Shumeye, Tigray Peace Force commander:
"Our main objective is to eliminate the influence that the ruling group in Tigray held over the people. Until now, the people of Tigray have been living in darkness. They are fighting to break free from it. Through persistent struggle, we achieved our goal, and the people can finally feel relief.”
8. Various of Tigray Peace Force fighters moving through Mekelle
STORYLINE:
Fighters from the Tigray Peace Force, a breakaway armed group, entered Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
Among the fighters was Berhe Guma, a former member of the Tigray forces under the Tigray People’s Liberation Front who now serves as a commander in the splinter group.
“We will not be ruled against our will,” Berhe said as he passed through the city.
Some residents stood along the roadside and clapped as fighters passed in pickup trucks on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Alemat Solomon, a member of the group, described quiet streets and closed shops, saying years of fighting had held back young people in Tigray.
“We weren’t building and developing. We were at war,” Solomon said.
Abrha Shumeye, a commander responsible for personnel and logistics for the group’s Front 5, said its objective was to end the influence of Tigray’s ruling group.
He claimed the fighters had achieved that goal.
===========================================================
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You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/52fc3dcf112e4a53a959fde06c56a486 Close description