Ethiopia to install six-month interim government in Tigray after federal forces push back uprising

Ethiopia has announced that an interim government will take control of the northern region of Tigray after federal forces retook major cities and pushed back a TPLF-led uprising. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the administration would last six months and would be followed by free elections. The announcement marks a new phase in the latest political and military crisis in the region.

In a statement on Friday, Abiy said the interim authority would be put in place to create what he described as a stable political situation in Tigray. The government said five officials have been appointed to run the region, including the mayor of Mekelle, the regional capital. Those officials are expected to carry out directives and instructions issued directly by the federal government.

The TPLF has not yet responded to the announcement. The move follows an offensive launched last month by the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which the federal government says was pushed back by Ethiopian forces. The group had announced in April that it was retaking control of the region, effectively ending a peace deal with the federal government.

According to the report, its fighters made early gains in the Afar region before losing Tigray's major cities and surrendering in Mekelle in early October. Eritrean troops who had entered Tigray later withdrew after heavy drone strikes by Ethiopian forces. The decision is significant because Tigray has been at the centre of repeated conflict between the federal government and the TPLF.

The TPLF governed Ethiopia for nearly 30 years until 2018, when Abiy's party came to power. Tigray then boycotted national elections and rejected the central government, deepening the rift between the two sides. The latest announcement suggests Addis Ababa is seeking to reassert direct control while promising a return to elections within six months.

The region also remains shaped by the 2020-2022 war between federal forces, backed at the time by Eritrea, and the TPLF. That conflict caused extensive loss of life and left unresolved issues, including the return of displaced people and the disarmament of the TPLF. Since the recent escalation, Ethiopia and Eritrea have accused each other of inciting war, raising concern that the crisis could widen beyond Tigray.

The federal government has not said how the interim administration will interact with local institutions beyond the officials it has named. What remains unclear is how the TPLF will respond and whether the interim arrangement can stabilise the region before the promised elections. It is also not clear how much authority the appointed officials will have in practice, or how the federal government plans to manage security on the ground.

#Ethiopia #Tigray #AbiyAhmed #TPLF #Mekelle