PM Abiy confirms Getachew’s departure as Tigray interim president with call for replacement
Outgoing Tigray President Getachew Reda giving his last presser in Addis Abeba on 12 March.
Addis Abeba -Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has officially confirmed the departure of Getachew Reda from his position as the interim president of Tigray regional state. In a statement released this morning, PM Abiy called on the people of Tigray “to participate in the nomination of candidates for the position of interim administration president.”
In his call for a nominee, PM Abiy stated the provisions of Article 62(9) of the Federal Constitution and Federal Government Proclamation No. 359/1995, as well as Regulation No. 533/2015 issued by the Council of Ministers as basis for the federal government backed “establishment of interim administrations in regional states.”
PM Abiy first hinted at a replacement during his address to parliament last week, and said that the mandate of the Tigray Interim Administration has recently expired, and will be extended for another year. “There may be changes” in its leadership. he told MPs.
Getachew’s confirmed replacement in today’s announcement follows months of internal disagreements within the TPLF party. The leadership change is seen as a response to escalating divisions that came to a dramatic escalaiton this week.
The TPLF’s internal rift, which surfaced after its 14th Congress in August last year, divided the party into factions led by Debretsion Gebremichael, TPLF’s chairman, and Getachew Reda. Debretsion’s group had previously announced the removal of Getachew and others from their roles, while the interim administration under Getachew repeatedly accused Debretsion’s faction of attempting to “destabilize” the region through a “coup d’état.”
The simmering rift between the two groups escalated last week following the suspension by Getachew of three senior military commanders. The move was rejected by the region’s bureau of peace and security, led by Tadesse, who also doubles as Getachew’s deputy. The interim administration accused the generals of engaging in activities that “contradict government decisions” and pose a risk of “dragging the region into internal conflict.” However, the Peace and Security Bureau rejected the suspension, stating that it “violated institutional procedures and legal frameworks.”
In response to the crisis, Getachew, who remained outside Tigray since he flew to Addis Abeba almost three weeks ago, has requested “necessary assistance” from the federal government, which was rejected by Debretsion’s faction; the party warned that “direct and indirect calls for third-party intervention” posed a “serious threat” to the Pretoria Peace Agreement.
In November last year Getachew admitted that that the power struggle within the TPLF leadership had severely impacted Tigray’s political, economic, and social stability. “The power struggle, which disregards the people’s safety and well-being, has led to instability and chaos,” he said.
The PM’s announcement sheds doubts on widely circulating rumors that Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, a prominent leader within the Tigray forces, will replace Getachew as the new interim president of the Tigray region.
Tadesse Werede, known for his critical role in organizing the Tigrayan forces during the two-year brutal war in the Tigray region, and a key member of the Tigrayan team who negotiated the Pretoria and Nairobi agreements, served as Getachew’s deputy and head of the region’s peace and security secretariat.
His leadership has been marked by calls for neutrality and unity amidst the tensions within the TPLF. Observers believed his military and administrative experience positioned him to stabilize the region and navigate its post-war recovery.
However, that praise came to a bumpy end when a group of senior leaders of the Tigray Forces announced a decision to dissolve and restructure the region’s interim administration, describing it as “weakened” and “failing to meet its responsibilities.” They also expressed support for the group led by Debretsion, raising fears of Tigrayan forces’ potential involvement in the political divide.
Residents of the Tigrau region reported that the faction supported by Debrestion had taken control of Mekelle FM 104.4 and appointed a mayor to the capital Mekelle, which has been without a mayor for three months due to the internal tensions. Earlier, the group also dislodged administrative officials of the city of Adigrat, in eastern Tigray.
But Lt. Gen. Tadesse dismissed concerns over potential conflict in the region, and stated that “there is no reason for conflict” either with “the Federal Government or any other body.” Security concerns “should not be a source of worry”, he said, adding that “there will be no internal conflict or war in any form; the issue of internal conflict is closed,” he said, further emphasizing that fears of conflict – whether internal or externally influenced – are “unfounded and should not be a concern.”
Getachew Reda, who was appointed two years ago in March following the Pretoria peace agreement, has faced criticisms from within the TPLF over allegations of ineffective governance and perceived favoritism in administrative appointments. AS
Crédito: Link de origem