Ethiopian Prime Minister announced Friday the establishment of an interim administration in the northern Tigray region after recent clashes.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Picture: HASNOOR HUSSAIN / POOL / AFP
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Friday the establishment of an interim administration in the northern Tigray region, which has been controlled by rebels who have clashed with federal forces in recent weeks.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) launched a major offensive against government forces on September 23, before being pushed back and losing control of its strongholds, including the regional capital Mekelle.
Tigray had been outside of Addis Ababa’s control and did not participate in June federal elections, which were resoundingly won by Abiy’s Prosperity Party (PP).
The federal government caretaker administration, which aims to create “a stable political situation so that free and transparent elections can be held”, will administer Tigray for the next six months, Abiy’s office said on social media following a cabinet decision.
The TPLF leadership “did not desire peace”, it said, instead initiating the latest “devastating war”.
The region fought a 2020-22 war against federal forces supported by Eritrean troops, which left an estimated 600,000 dead.
A 2022 peace deal ended the fighting but left lingering discontent over the terms.
Tigrayans “must break free from the cycle of conflict”, the statement said, in order to “ensure their right to self-governance, and to enjoy the benefits of development”.
Addis Ababa also announced the appointment of five officials, including the mayor of Mekelle.
Uneasy alliance
The TPLF, which previously ruled Ethiopia before being locked out of power in 2018 when Abiy became prime minister, was banned as a political entity last year.
Kjetil Tronvoll, regional specialist at Oslo New University College, told AFP the question of elections was “key”, including whether a six-month timeline was even possible.
“Which parties will be allowed or denied to participate?” he asked, also questioning whether Abiy’s PP would establish a local branch in the region.
In late September, the TPLF formed an uneasy alliance with several disparate armed groups opposed to the government.
The group has also moved closer to neighbouring Eritrea, long at odds with Ethiopia.
Addis Ababa says Asmara is supporting the TPLF, with a foreign security source saying thousands of Eritrean troops had deployed to the Tigray region.
For its part, Eritrea alleges that landlocked Ethiopia is planning to use the conflict as a justification to invade its territory and seize control of Assab port on the Red Sea.
