{"id":180855,"date":"2026-11-09T23:14:54","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T04:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zegabi.com\/articles\/?p=180855"},"modified":"2026-11-10T09:04:59","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T14:04:59","slug":"ethiopian-military-announces-nighttime-vehicle-curfew-and-weapons-surrender-order-in-mekelle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.zegabi.com\/articles\/180855","title":{"rendered":"Ethiopian Military Announces Nighttime Vehicle Curfew and Weapons Surrender Order in Mekelle"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces announced a nighttime vehicle curfew, daytime house-to-house searches and an order to surrender unlicensed firearms in Mekelle, according to reports from several outlets.<\/p>\n

Borkena<\/a>, reporting on Nov. 6, said the military announced a ban on vehicle movement from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., effective Nov. 6. The restrictions covered heavy trucks, private cars and motorcycles. Unauthorized window decals and stickers were also prohibited, Borkena said.<\/p>\n

Authorized security personnel would conduct house-to-house inspections between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Borkena said. Residents holding unregistered firearms were ordered to surrender them to the Tigray Region Police Commission or face prosecution.<\/p>\n

Military officials told Borkena the measures were meant to curb urban crime, organized robbery and abductions after what they described as the unauthorized release of detainees during earlier troop movements. The officials urged residents to report suspicious activity to designated police hotlines and army security centers.<\/p>\n

Armed Conflict Location & Event Data<\/a> (ACLED) recorded on Nov. 5 that the ENDF announced security measures in Mekelle, to take effect on Nov. 6. These included a nighttime vehicle curfew and a requirement to surrender illegal weapons to the Tigray Police Commission, ACLED said.<\/p>\n

Critical Threats<\/a>, summarizing the same week, said the military announced the curfew on Nov. 5, said it would conduct daytime house-to-house searches and ordered unlicensed firearms surrendered. The reported deadline was Sunday, Nov. 8, according to Critical Threats.<\/p>\n

Wazema<\/a>, also publishing on Nov. 6, said the nighttime curfew restricting vehicle movement between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. was effective Nov. 7, while the weapons-surrender order began Nov. 6.<\/p>\n

Borkena and ACLED gave Nov. 6 as the effective date, while Wazema gave Nov. 7.<\/p>\n

The military blamed the city\u2019s security problems on prisoners it said the Tigray People\u2019s Liberation Front had released before withdrawing from Mekelle, and on organized criminal groups, according to Wazema and Borkena.<\/p>\n

TPLF spokesperson Michael Asgedom rejected the detainee-release claims in comments to external media, Borkena reported, and called the state\u2019s assertions a pretext for the new restrictions.<\/p>\n

Since the TPLF\u2019s withdrawal from Mekelle in early October, Wazema said, the city has remained under the control of the ENDF and the Tigray Peace Force.<\/p>\n

Separately, ACLED reported that large numbers of ENDF troops and equipment were seen mobilizing from Adwa toward Rama on Nov. 5 and 6. Local sources cited by ACLED said Tigray Defense Force fighters were present in and around Rama, near the Eritrea border.<\/p>\n

In a separate report, Fana<\/a> reported on Nov. 5 that United Nations representatives, ambassadors and other international officials visited a rehabilitation and reintegration center for former combatants in Mekelle. About 5,500 former combatants were receiving training there, Fana reported.<\/p>\n

National Rehabilitation Commission officials, including Commissioner Temesgen Tilahun, briefed the visitors on the center\u2019s work, Fana said.<\/p>\n

Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n