Ethiopia: Flights from capital to Tigray cancelled as tenions mount

As fears of a return to conflict mount in Ethiopia, passenger flights between the capital and cities in the northern Tigray region have been halted.

Ethiopia airlines cited 'unplanned circumstances' for the cancellations. For the moment, there has been no official statement from the company explaining the move.

It comes as a peace deal agreed four years ago has been thrown into jeopardy as tensions mount over disputed territory, ahead of elections this summer.

There have been reports of fighting between the federal army and Tigray fighters in western Tigray. There are also said to have been new military movements in southern Tigray.

The region remains a source of disagreement, but the government says it intends to resolve it through a referendum.

However some one million people were forced from their homes in the area during the conflict and are living in makeshift camps, and it is unclear whether they will be able to cast their ballot.

According to an African Union official, some 600,000 people lost their lives during the Tigray conflict.