Ethiopia appoints six-month caretaker administration for Tigray

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has appointed a six-month caretaker administration for Tigray after renewed fighting displaced the regional authorities and brought federal and allied forces into Mekelle. His office said the administration should restore public services, repair damaged infrastructure, assist displaced people and prepare a regional election within six months.

The announcement follows the Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s withdrawal from the regional capital on 4 October. The Associated Press reported that former fighters have begun registering again for a disarmament and reintegration programme. The TPLF urged its forces to keep fighting, and analysts cautioned that losing major towns does not establish that combat has ended across Tigray’s rural areas.

The renewed conflict has effectively shattered the 2022 peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year war. About 750,000 Tigrayans were still internally displaced in February, according to UN data cited by Reuters, while drought and damaged services compound the humanitarian pressure. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea and other neighbours of supporting its opponents; those governments deny the claims. The caretaker plan sets a timetable, but credible elections depend first on security, humanitarian access and political participation that people in Tigray can exercise without coercion.