Mekelle, the capital of the war-torn Tigray region, has reportedly been reconnected to the national power grid after over a year of total blackout since June 28, 2021, according to Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), the state-ow
Mekelle, the capital of the war-torn Tigray region, has reportedly been reconnected to the national power grid after over a year of total blackout since June 28, 2021, according to Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), the state-owned electric provider.
According to Moges Mekonen, the director of communications at Ethiopian Electric Power, "power is now being restored to Mekelle from the national grid."
Ethiopia re-establishes power connectivity with Tigray's capital
He continued by saying that by re-establishing the city's connection to the national power grid, EEP will be able to manage Mekelle's power supply centrally.
Electricity has been in the city since yesterday (Tuesday), as confirmed by a city resident's report to BBC. In October this year, the BBC published NASA satellite images mapping the power outage over two years, demonstrating how Mekelle "disappeared from Nasa satellite photos."
Most of the Tigray Region has been without electricity since the start of the war between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces in early November 2020.
Despite limited access to the national power grid from the Tekeze hydroelectric dam, the region remains heavily reliant on imported hydroelectric energy.
The Tigrayan authorities assert that the government intentionally cut off vital services like electricity, banking, and communications in areas under their control. The federal government accuses Tigrayan forces of purposefully destroying electrical infrastructure,
Following the signing of a peace treaty by the two parties on November 2 in Pretoria, South Africa, the federal government has promised to restore essential services.
According to Moges, Mekelle has been reconnected to the national grid following maintenance work on the severely damaged 230 KV high power transmission line from Alamata to Mekoni.
According to Moges, maintenance on the 230KV transmission line that provides power to Humera and Shire has been finished. However, work is still being done on the lines connecting Tekeze to Axum. AS