Abiy Ahmed appoints interim government for Tigray
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced a six-month interim administration for Tigray following fighting between federal forces and a rebel alliance.
Key facts
- Abiy Ahmed appointed an interim administration to govern Tigray for six months.
- The prime minister's office cited failed peace efforts and accused TPLF leadership of initiating the war.
- TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa stated the region cannot be ruled by 'puppets' of the government.
- Federal forces pushed a rebel alliance back from strongholds, including Mekelle.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the appointment of an interim administration for Tigray on 16 October 2026. According to DW, the move follows fighting between the Ethiopian National Defense Force and a rebel alliance. Ahmed's office stated that repeated efforts to resolve the conflict failed.
The interim government will administer the region for six months. The prime minister's office listed 10 primary tasks, including holding free and fair elections, returning displaced communities, and restoring government services.
Ahmed's office stated that the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) leadership did not desire peace and initiated the latest war. TPLF Vice President Amanuel Assefa told AFP that the region cannot be ruled by 'puppets of the genocidal regime' in Addis Ababa.
The TPLF previously posted on Facebook that Tigrayans collaborating with the federal government are 'traitors' who will face 'accountability and public judgment.'
In September, the TPLF and six other armed groups launched an offensive against Ahmed's administration. Federal forces pushed the alliance back, and the rebels lost strongholds including the regional capital Mekelle.
Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of backing the TPLF. Eritrea denies this and stated that Addis Ababa is using the conflict to justify seizing the Red Sea Port of Assab.
Context
A civil war from 2020 to 2022 killed more than 600,000 people in the region. Tigray continues to have large numbers of internally displaced people.
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