Ethiopia’s Abiy names new Tigray government, wants polls in six months
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has established a caretaker government for the Tigray region to stabilize the area and prepare for elections within six months. This move follows renewed conflict between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which has exacerbated humanitarian crises in the region.
Why it matters
The stability of Ethiopia is critical to the security of the Horn of Africa, and the ongoing conflict threatens to displace more people and disrupt regional geopolitical balances.
NAIROBI, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has named a caretaker government to stabilise the northern Tigray region and prepare for an election within six months, after fighting erupted between a rebel alliance and federal troops.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) led an offensive last month against Abiy’s government, reigniting a war that killed hundreds of thousands between 2020-22.
Renewed conflict has led to the severing of ties between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Addis Ababa accuses Asmara of backing the rebels, which Eritrea denies.
The TPLF, Tigray’s ruling party, dominated Ethiopian politics for decades until Abiy took office in 2018. Since fighting erupted, Ethiopia’s military and a pro-government militia have made significant advances and taken control of large parts of Tigray including the regional capital Mekelle.
Also covering this story
3 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in