The shops have shut in Mekelle. Federal forces have reached the airport, and residents who survived the last war are watching another approach their city. Beyond Tigray, Ethiopia's break with Eritrea has brought a separate danger closer: fighting that could reach the Red Sea coast and draw in governments from Cairo to the Gulf. The road to Djibouti, Ethiopia's main commercial lifeline, already runs through a region at war. By the Editorial Team of The Levant Files 3 October 2026 Map: Created with the help of AI technology. The Airport Falls. The City Waits. On 3 October, three sources told Reuters that federal troops had retaken Mekelle's airport , roughly 10 kilometres from the city centre. A day earlier, residents had described closed banks and shops as government forces and allied militias drew near. Control of the airport gives the army a foothold outside Tigray's capital. What happens inside Mekelle remains uncertain. The airfie...