Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced an interim administration for Tigray on 16 October, following renewed fighting in the country’s northern region. According to his office, the new administration will serve for six months and organise free and fair elections during that period, Deutsche Welle reports.
Its announced responsibilities also include enabling displaced communities to return, restoring public services and protecting essential infrastructure. These are the federal government’s stated objectives: the announcement does not establish that the administration has effective control across the region or that elections will take place within the proposed timeframe.
Decision follows a new offensive
According to DW, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and six other armed groups launched an offensive against Abiy’s government in September. Federal forces subsequently drove the rebel alliance out of some of its strongholds, including the regional capital, Mekelle, the broadcaster reports.
The prime minister’s office blamed the TPLF leadership for the failure of peace efforts and the outbreak of another war. That is the federal government’s position, rather than an independently established finding of responsibility for the renewed conflict. At the time DW published its report, the TPLF had not directly responded to the announcement of the interim administration.
For displaced residents, the prospect of returning home and the restoration of public services are significant parts of the announcement. The six-month mandate sets out the government’s timetable, but appointing a new administration does not in itself guarantee that those plans can be carried out amid renewed fighting.
