Ethiopia's Virgin Mary festival in Tigray cancelled over drone strike fears

The three‑day Ashenda festival, which coincides with Orthodox Christian observances of the Virgin Mary, has been cancelled. Its name, meaning “the gangly greenish grass” in Tigrinya, has grown into a broader cultural celebration of women. Girls and young women across Tigray and other parts of northern Ethiopia traditionally dress up, braid their hair in a distinctive style and are free to create and play together outdoors—activities usually discouraged at other times of the year. Tigray’s communications affairs bureau said the latest drone strike hit Mekelle on Thursday, injuring 13 civilians and damaging homes. Regional officials also reported two drone strikes near Dandera, 15km (nine miles) from Mekelle, on 18 August, noting that one person died and another was injured. They added that an attack in Raya‑Alamata district on 10 August left three dead. Dori Asgedom, head of Tigray’s culture and tourism bureau, announced the cancellation of Saturday’s