A much-anticipated celebration in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has been called off after authorities raised security concerns over a string of drone attacks, leaving thousands of young women without the main gathering planned for Mekelle.
The Ashenda festival was due to culminate in a large event at a stadium in Mekelle on Saturday, where girls and young women were expected to gather in colourful traditional outfits to celebrate the occasion.
Tigray's culture and tourism bureau said the event had been cancelled because of continued drone attacks and fears that fighting could return to the region.
Dori Asgedom, who heads the bureau, said the stadium event would not proceed 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.
The decision followed a drone attack on Mekelle on Thursday that left 13 civilians injured and caused damage to homes, according to Tigray's communications affairs bureau.
Regional officials said two more drone attacks were recorded near Dandera, about 15km (nine miles) from Mekelle, on August 18. One person was killed and another injured in the attacks, they said.
Officials also linked a separate attack in Raya-Alamata district on August 10 to the deaths of three people.
The Tigray regional administration has blamed federal armed forces for the recent drone attacks, claims that have not been addressed by the Ethiopian government following a request for comment from the BBC.
After Thursday's attack, the regional administration urged the "international community to break their silence" and condemn the incident. It also called for the international community to "take urgent diplomatic action to prevent further escalation".
Ashenda is held for three days and coincides with the period when Orthodox Christians commemorate the Virgin Mary. Its name comes from the Tigrinya phrase for "the tall green grass".
The festival has grown beyond its religious roots into a major cultural celebration of women across Tigray and other parts of northern Ethiopia.
Young women traditionally use the occasion to dress in their finest clothes, braid their hair in a special style, sing, dance and spend time together in public. Such freedom is traditionally limited outside the festival period, making Ashenda an important event for girls and women in the region.
The cancellation comes as Tigray continues to deal with the effects of a devastating two-year conflict that ended in 2022 after the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopia's federal government signed a peace agreement.
The conflict was estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people.
Despite the peace deal, political tensions have returned this year. The TPLF removed the interim administration established under the agreement and brought back its pre-war council, further straining relations with the federal government.
Both sides have accused each other of failing to honour the peace agreement, fuelling fears that the region could slide back into conflict.
The decision to cancel the Mekelle gathering means one of Tigray's most anticipated cultural events will be held under a cloud of uncertainty, with security concerns taking precedence over the annual celebrations.