Ethiopia's Ashenda festival: Tigray cancels event celebrating the Virgin Mary over drone attack fears - BBC News

An eagerly anticipated gathering of women will not be taking place following recent aerial strikes.

Image source, Anadolu via Getty ImagesImage caption, The Ashenda festival is eagerly anticipated by girls and young women in northern Ethiopia

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.