Ethiopia has put Tigray under a six-month federal administration tasked with security, service repair and creating conditions for a vote, testing a regional peace accord amid worsening ties with Eritrea.
The office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali announced the administration on Oct. 16, after renewed fighting in Tigray. Its assignment covers security, public services, infrastructure repairs and support for displaced residents seeking to return. The government said the body would prepare for regional elections during its six-month term, but gave no polling date. The prime minister’s office said federal authorities would direct and monitor the body, but gave no polling date.
The arrangement differs from the governance process described in the Pretoria Agreement, signed by Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on Nov. 2, 2022. The accord calls for an inclusive interim regional authority formed through political dialogue between the parties. The new administration, by contrast, is to operate under federal direction, according to the prime minister’s office.
Before the new body was announced, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called on Sept. 23 for renewed talks under the agreement. He asked African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa Olusegun Obasanjo to engage the parties. The United Nations secretary-general urged an end to the fighting and a return to dialogue on Oct. 10.
Relations with Eritrea involve a separate framework. The neighbors’ 2018 joint declaration ended their state of war and set out plans to restore diplomatic, transport and trade ties. Eritrea’s Foreign Ministry said Oct. 1 that it had severed diplomatic relations with Ethiopia, accused Ethiopia of aggression and rejected Ethiopian allegations of hostile acts. Eritrea’s Ministry of Information has also said Ethiopia’s pursuit of sea access is driving the crisis; that is Eritrea’s account.
Other diplomatic appeals also preceded the administration announcement. On Oct. 1, the African Union urged Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt to keep diplomatic channels open. The U.S. Department of State said Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged de-escalation and talks under the 2018 framework during an Oct. 14 call with Abiy. The U.K. government called for de-escalation and dialogue on Oct. 15.
A United Nations emergency allocation announced Oct. 13 provides $8.5 million for assistance intended to reach more than 202,700 people in Tigray, Amhara, Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz and other areas. The figure covers a response across several regions, not Tigray alone. The government’s six-month election goal is the next stated milestone, though officials have not set a voting date.
