BRUSSELS | 5 October 2026 (IDN | EEPA) — The following are the situation reports on the situation in Ethiopia, the situation in Sudan, the international and regional situation, ENDF recaptures Mekelle, nighttime ENDF drone strikes target civilian infrastructure across Tigray, WFP trucks attacked in Kordofan
Situation in Ethiopia (per 5 October)
- The Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) took control of Mekelle on 3 October.
- Before the ENDF entered the city, officials of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fled the city. The TPLF announced that it has left Mekelle and will continue the armed struggle “from other areas.” Most of TPLF leadership left for Eritrea and Central and Northwestern Tigray.
- Police in Mekelle stopped working on 2 October. Widespread looting is currently taking place.
- The former president of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration Tadesse Werede, Colonel Gebregziabher Alemseged, Colonel Tewelde Gebretensay head of military intelligence, and Mr Isaias Tadesse, former advisor to the Interim President were forcibly taken to unknown destinations by the TPLF on 2 October.
- Ethio Telecom resumed its services in Mekelle and Adigrat on 4 October.
- The cities of Alamata and Korem were recaptured by the ENDF on 30 September. Mekoni fell to the ENDF on the night of 1 October.
- Alula Aba Nega airport, in the outskirts of Mekelle, was seized by the ENDF on 3 October.
- Drone strikes have targeted the Adigrat University Specialised Hospital, which is currently overwhelmed by injured TPLF and Fano fighters, according to a doctor working there.
- Nighttime drone strikes have been targeting hotels and IDP camps across Tigray, including several in Adwa, Shire and Sheraro. Six civilians were killed in the attack against Soloda hotel in Adwa.
- A nighttime ENDF drone attack also destroyed a primary school in the Naeder district of the Mahbere Selam village, Tigray, on 4 October.
- Violent clashes between forces of the Alliance for Survival (ASF) and ENDF backed militias occurred on 3 October in Raya Alamata. The fighting mainly took place around Hawjano School and the Sebakare area.
- The Tigray Peace Forces (TPF) and Amhara militia groups were reportedly involved in the fighting around Alamata.
- The number of casualties and the extent of the property damage of the Raya Alamata attack has not yet been confirmed.
- The ENDF regained control of Abala, Erebti, and Megale areas in Zone 2 of the Afar region on 1 October.
- Strikes were heard around 1am on 1 October in Addis Ababa near the EDNF headquarters in Torhailoch area and Meshalokiya area.
- A drone strike has targeted the residence of Birhanu Jula, Chief of General Staff of the ENDF in Addis Ababa, according to opposition Ethiopian media sources. Neither the reliability of the news, nor the details about the damage and possible casualties have been confirmed yet.
Situation in Sudan (per 5 October)
- Two aid trucks were struck by an attack on 3 October while transporting World Food Program (WFP) supplies from Dilling to Kadugli in Kordofan State. One driver was killed during the attack.
- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) captured the town of al-Mazroub on 2 October, which was one of the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) most important strongholds in North Kordofan.
- Four civilians, including a child, were killed in drone strikes by the RSF in the city of Dilling, in South Kordofan, on 4 October. According to the Sudan Doctors Network, the attacks targeted residential areas of the city.
- Drone attacks by the RSF targeted the governor’s home in Blue Nile state and several civilian places in Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile, on 3 October.
- In response to the RSF attacks in the Blue Nile state, the SAF stated that its Fourth Infantry Division has inflicted huge losses on the RSF in the state, targeting both people and equipment.
- Abdel Baqi Mohamed Hamed, the humanitarian aid commissioner for the Darfur regional government, accused the RSF of seizing 32 trucks on 4 October carrying WSF supplies intended for people in need in North Darfur.
International and regional situation (per 5 October)
- Ten Eritrean diplomats in Addis Ababa, including the charge d’affaires and others accredited to the AU, were declared persona non grata and were ordered to leave Ethiopia on 1 October, following repeated accusations from the Ethiopian government that Eritrea is supporting the ASF.
- The Ethiopian embassy in Asmara has been closed since 1 October.
- Eritrea decided to sever all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia, declaring all of its diplomatic acts “unwarranted acts of hostility”.
- One Egyptian diplomat in Ethiopia was declared persona non grata by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In response, Egypt declared one Ethiopian diplomat persona non grata.
- The African Union Commission urged Ethiopia, Egypt and Eritrea to refrain from actions that could worsen the regional situation and interact using official diplomatic channels.
- Egypt hosted the leaders of Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia on 4 October in order to discuss issues of regional interest amid the escalating conflict in Ethiopia and recent diplomatic tensions.
- The discussions led to a joint declaration pushing back against several Ethiopian policies in recent years, affirming that control of the Red Sea should remain with coastal states. The declaration also called for a political process in Sudan led by Sudanese parties.
- In response, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on 5 October asserting its “legitimate interests” in the Red Sea, as well as its central role in the Nile basin.
- Senior Eritrean and Egyptian officials, including the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, met in Cairo on 1 October in order to discuss mutual diplomatic and economic interests in the region.
- An Eritrean delegation led by Foreign Minister Osman Saleh met with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ms. Allison Hooker, on 1 October in order to create a renewed partnership after the removal of sanctions on 18 September.
Links of interest
Ethiopian Counteroffensive into Tigray; Internal Tensions Within M23: Africa File, October 1, 2026
Ethiopian rebel forces withdraw from Tigray regional capital
Ethiopia’s government forces retake airport from Tigray rebels in Mekelle
Multiple Overnight Drone Attacks Reported in Adwa, Shire and Sheraro; Civilian Casualties Reported
Ethiopian Army Chief’S Addis Ababa Home Reportedly Targeted
Sudan: Driver killed in aerial attack on aid trucks in South Kordofan
Is the Sudanese army gaining momentum against the RSF?
4 civilians killed in RSF drone strikes in Sudan’s South Kordofan: Medical group
Sudan official accuses RSF of seizing 32 WFP aid trucks in North Darfur
Sudan’s army says it inflicted heavy losses on RSF, allies in Blue Nile state
Eritrea severs diplomatic ties with Ethiopia in tit-for-tat move
Egypt retaliates against Ethiopia as regional tensions surge
Egypt to host Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia leaders as Ethiopia conflict fuels regional tensions
Four African leaders issue joint declaration as Ethiopia war escalates
Senior Eritrean delegation holds talks with Egyptian officials
#Daily_Brief: #Eritrea, #US advance bilateral relations following sanctions removal
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