Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has announced the appointment of an interim administrator for the northern Tigray state where a military operation is underway to oust Tigray’s governing Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) from power, reported Al Jazeera.
Mr. Abiy launched a military campaign against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) last week, after accusing the regional rulers of attacking a government military base in the region.
In a brief statement, the president announced that the government had appointed Dr. Mulu Nega as the chief executive of the state.
“The chief executive will recruit and appoint heads to lead executive organs of the regional state from political parties legally operating in the region,” Ethiopia’s president said.
The Ethiopian MPs had previously passed a resolution to establish an interim administration accountable to the federal government in Tigray state.
On Thursday, Mr. Abiy announced that the military has defeated the local forces in the Tigray region. He said that the military had even started providing humanitarian assistance and services to help the people affected by the clashes.
“The western region of Tigray has been liberated,” the prime minister tweeted. “The army is now providing humanitarian assistance and services. It is also feeding the people.”
There has been long-standing tension between Ethiopia’s government and the TPLF. The recent military escalation followed regional elections held in Tigray in September in defiance of Ethiopia’s federal government, which called the vote “illegal”.
Due to the violence, thousands of civilians have crossed the border into Sudan, which says it will shelter them in a refugee camp.
According to a United Nations report, nine million people risk displacement from the escalating conflict. It also warned that the fighting was blocking food and other aid to the people of Ethiopia.
Last week, the African Union (AU) called for a complete and immediate ceasefire between the two warring forces in Ethiopia.
