Authorities in Ethiopia’s Tigray region requested assistance from the federal government on Wednesday after a faction of the primary regional party took over a town, raising concerns about a potential resurgence of conflict in the war-torn area.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) oversees Tigray’s interim government, which was established in 2023 following a peace deal that concluded a harrowing two-year war between Tigrayan forces and the federal administration.
The conflict ceased with a ceasefire agreement signed in November 2022, after tens of thousands lost their lives and millions were displaced in northern Ethiopia.
Since that time, the TPLF has divided into two factions, each claiming authority over the party.
On Wednesday, Getachew Reda, leader of one faction and head of Tigray’s interim government, announced that his opponent, Debretsion Gebremichael, had forcefully taken control of the administration in the northern town of Adigrat the previous day.
Debretsion’s faction confirmed the takeover of Adigrat via a post on its official Facebook account. Additionally, on Tuesday, Getachew dismissed three senior military leaders from their roles, accusing them of attempting to instigate internal conflict within the region.
“The federal government must… be aware that those acting under the banner of the security forces are agents of a regressive and criminal group that does not represent the populace or the Interim Administration of Tigray, and should provide the necessary assistance,” Getachew stated in a proclamation.
“It should not stand idly by as the Pretoria Agreement is breached and the people of Tigray face the prospect of a second wave of devastation,” he continued, referencing the agreement signed in South Africa in 2022.
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Ethiopian government spokesperson Legesse Tulu, the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Debretsion did not promptly reply to requests for comment.
