Ethiopia names a caretaker government for Tigray
Abiy Ahmed's office says the six-month administration should prepare the region for free and transparent elections, after federal forces pushed back a TPLF offensive.
Addis Ababa — Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has appointed an interim administration to run the northern region of Tigray for six months, Africanews reports.
His office said the federal "caretaker administration" was set up after a cabinet decision, with the aim of creating "a stable political situation so that free and transparent elections can be held". Addis Ababa also named five officials, including a mayor for Mekelle, the regional capital.
How it came to this
- On 23 September, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) launched a major offensive against government forces. It was pushed back and lost its strongholds, including Mekelle.
- Tigray had been outside the federal government's control and did not take part in June's national elections, which Abiy's Prosperity Party won by a wide margin.
- The 2020–22 war between federal forces, backed by Eritrean troops, and Tigrayan forces left an estimated 600,000 people dead. The 2022 peace deal ended the fighting but left disagreements over its terms.
Abiy's office blamed the TPLF leadership for the latest fighting and urged Tigrayans to "break free from the cycle of conflict" so the region can govern itself and develop.
The appointments come amid warnings, also reported by Africanews, that the fighting could draw Ethiopia into a wider conflict with Eritrea.
Source: Africanews with AFP, 16 October 2026.
