Ethiopia’s Tigray Region Appoints New Interim Leader: Report

The TPLF has appointed spokesperson Getachew Reda as chairman of the interim local government, party-run media reported.

The ruling party in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has announced its presidential candidate for the regional administration called for in the election. peace agreement According to party-run media, it ended a two-year war in the northern region.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has appointed its spokesperson, Getachew Read, to the interim post, Tigray TV reported Saturday.

The TPLF fought Ethiopian forces and their allies, killing tens of thousands. A truce was signed last November after federal forces scored a series of battlefield victories.

If Getachew’s nomination is confirmed by the federal government, he will succeed TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael, who has led Tigray since 2018.

It is not clear when the federal government will consider Guétatue’s nomination or when an interim government will take office.

An Ethiopian government spokesperson, Legesse Tulu, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lack of an interim government has hampered the humanitarian response across Tigray, where millions of people are in dire need of assistance, aid officials said.

Civil servants and medical workers were not paid, and aid agencies had no clear interlocutors, they said.

Getachew’s appointment came just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visit ethiopia He commended the local authorities for their progress in implementing the peace deal, but warned that more work was needed.

During that visit, Brinken discussed with Getachu and Ethiopian officials the importance of establishing an interim government.