Ethiopia names six-month caretaker administration for Tigray amid renewed fighting

Ethiopia has named a six-month caretaker administration for Tigray after government-allied fighters entered the regional capital, Mekelle, earlier this month. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office says the new administration is tasked with restoring security and public services, rebuilding damaged infrastructure and preparing for regional elections within six months. [1][2]

The Ethiopian News Agency, reporting the prime minister’s statement, says the appointment followed a resolution by Ethiopia’s House of Federation and a binding cabinet decision. Officials have been named to oversee administration, reconstruction, security and political affairs, alongside a new mayor for Mekelle. The caretaker administration will operate under federal oversight, with its mandate limited to routine government and election preparations. [1]

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) withdrew from Mekelle before government-allied fighters entered on 4 October, according to the Associated Press. Reuters reports that Ethiopian forces and pro-government fighters now control large parts of Tigray. Their advances come amid renewed fighting that has badly damaged the 2022 peace agreement, which ended a two-year war. [2][3]

Abiy’s office accuses TPLF leaders of obstructing that agreement; AP reports that the TPLF has urged its forces to keep fighting. Hundreds of former combatants have begun registering in Mekelle for a programme intended to help them return to civilian life. Magnus Taylor of the International Crisis Group cautioned that the TPLF’s loss of Mekelle does not mean the conflict is over: control of towns and roads would not necessarily secure rural areas. [1][2]

The administration is also meant to help displaced people return home. Around 750,000 Tigrayans were still internally displaced in February, according to UN refugee agency figures reported by Reuters. How widely the new administration can operate, and whether an election can take place within its six-month term, remain uncertain.