A significant cultural and religious festival, Ashenda, celebrating women and the Virgin Mary in Mekelle, Tigray, has been cancelled. The decision was made due to fears that the event, which traditionally draws thousands of young women, could be targeted by drone attacks.
The main gathering for the three-day festival was scheduled for Saturday at a stadium in Mekelle. Dori Asgedom, head of Tigray's culture and tourism bureau, stated the cancellation was due to "ongoing drone strikes and the threat of war."
Tigray is still recovering from a two-year civil war that concluded in 2022. Regional authorities have blamed recent deadly drone strikes on federal armed forces, though the government has not commented on these accusations. A drone strike in Mekelle on Thursday reportedly injured 13 civilians and damaged homes, according to Tigray's communications affairs bureau.
Regional officials also reported two drone strikes near Dandera on August 18, resulting in one death and one injury, and a strike in Raya-Alamata district on August 10, which left three dead. The Tigray regional administration has urged the international community to condemn the attacks and take diplomatic action to prevent further escalation.