Ethiopia announces interim government in Tigray, aims for polls in six months

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced on Friday the establishment of an interim administration to govern the northern Tigray region for the next six months. According to The Citizen and Free Malaysia Today, the caretaker government aims to create a stable political situation to allow for free and transparent elections to be held within that period.

This follows a recent offensive launched by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on September 23, which resulted in the group losing control of its strongholds, including the regional capital, Mekelle.

The recent clashes have reignited a conflict that previously occurred between 2020 and 2022. France 24 and Daily Maverick report that this earlier war killed hundreds of thousands, while The Citizen and Free Malaysia Today cite an estimated 600,000 deaths. Daily Maverick notes that the renewed fighting has led to the severing of ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea, with Addis Ababa accusing Asmara of backing the rebels, a claim Eritrea denies.

Abiy’s office stated via social media that the TPLF leadership "did not desire peace" and instead initiated the latest war. In a statement posted on X, Abiy said the people of Tigray must break free from the cycle of conflict to ensure their right to self-governance and development. The region had previously remained outside of Addis Ababa's control and did not participate in the June federal elections.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, The Citizen, Daily Maverick, Free Malaysia Today — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.