Ethiopia's Virgin Mary festival in Tigray cancelled over drone strike fears

A major cultural and religious festival celebrating women and the Virgin Mary in northern Ethiopia has been cancelled in Mekelle, the main city in the Tigray region, over fears it may be targeted in drone attacks.

The focal point of Ashenda festival, which traditionally draws thousands of young women dressed in their finery, was to be a mass gathering at a stadium in Mekelle on Saturday.

Tigray is still recovering from a brutal two-year civil war that ended in 2022. There are concerns the conflict might reignite with the regional authorities blaming a recent series of deadly drone strikes on federal armed forces.

The government has not responded to a BBC request for comment on the accusations.

Is Ethiopia heading back to war in Tigray?

The three-day festival of Ashenda takes places as Orthodox Christians commemorate the Virgin Mary. Its name means "the tall green grass" in Tigrinya and has grown into a wider cultural event that celebrates women.

It is eagerly anticipated by girls and young women in Tigray and other parts of northern Ethiopia.

They dress up, braid their hair in a special way and are free to dance and play together outside, something which is traditionally frowned upon at other times of the year.

The latest drone strike hit Mekelle on Thursday, injuring 13 civilians and damaging homes, Tigray's communications affairs bureau said.

Regional officials also reported two drone strikes near Dandera, 15km (nine miles) from Mekelle, on 18 August, saying that one person died and another was injured. They also said that a strike in Raya-Alamata district on 10 August left three dead .

Announcing the cancellation of Saturday's stadium gathering Dori Asgedom, head of Tigray's culture and tourism bureau, said it would not be going ahead because of "ongoing drone strikes and the threat of war".

"The drone attack on innocent citizens in Mekelle city is an act that history will not forgive and should be condemned," he added.

Reflecting on Thursday's attack, the Tigray regional administration called for the "international community to break their silence" and condemn what had happened and "take urgent diplomatic action to prevent further escalation".

In 2022, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government signed a deal ending two years of fighting that its estimated left hundreds of thousands dead.

But political tensions this year have raised fears the conflict could start again. This comes after the TPLF removed the interim administration set up under the peace deal and reinstated its pre-war council.

Both sides accuse each other of failing to implement the deal.

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