Tigray’s main political party has reasserted control over the region’s political administration, moving to restore pre-war structures in a step that could undermine the 2022 peace deal that ended Ethiopia’s civil war.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) said in a statement on Tuesday that it had reinstated the legislative council that existed before the 2020-2022 conflict and that the council had elected TPLF chair Debretsion Gebremichael as regional president.
The move creates rival administrations in Tigray. The interim administration’s president, Tadesse Worede, has said he intends to remain in his post.
The TPLF announced last month it would restore pre-war political structures, accusing the federal government of provoking armed conflict, withholding funds for civil servants’ salaries, and extending the interim administration president’s term without consultation. An adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had warned that “catastrophic conflict” could return to the region, while the EU and Britain have called for de-escalation over the past week.
The 2020-2022 civil war, which also involved forces from neighbouring Eritrea, was one of the deadliest of the century. Researchers estimate it killed hundreds of thousands through violence, the collapse of healthcare, and famine.
The conflict stemmed from a breakdown in relations between the TPLF, which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades, and Abiy, whose appointment as prime minister in 2018 ended the party’s dominance.
“The decision by TPLF … is clearly a major escalation. If mitigating efforts and a process of de-escalation are not introduced quickly, this may trigger the outbreak of new armed conflict,” said Kjetil Tronvoll, a professor of peace and conflict studies at Oslo New University College and a scholar of the TPLF.
The Pretoria Agreement established an interim administration through dialogue between the TPLF and the federal government to govern Tigray until new elections could be held. Tensions have risen in recent months, with armed skirmishes breaking out since January between TPLF forces and the federal army and allied fighters.
On Monday, an explosion occurred near the interim administration’s offices in the regional capital Mekelle. A local resident told Reuters the blast was caused by a hand grenade, though police said there were no casualties. It was not clear who was responsible.
