Tigray tensions raise fears of Ethiopia-Eritrea war

"In 2020, Ethiopia's government under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed postponed the country's planned elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the largest and most dominant party in the country's northern Tigray region, accused Abiy of unconstitutionally extending his government's term. The TPLF arranged local elections which it won and denied the federal government's legal authority over the Tigray region, leading to a conflict that escalated into military hostilities between the TPLF and the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF)."

"Between 2020 and 2022, an estimated 600,000 people died in the fighting. Both sides accused each other of having initiated the conflict. In November 2022, the results of the 2020 local elections were annulled following the Pretoria peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF. Since then, an Interim Regional Administration was established in Tigray, sidelining the TPLF's wartime leaders."

"After three years, disagreements arose between the region's interim administration and the TPLF. In April, the Tigray State Council, which had been dissolved under the peace agreement, was restored by the TPLF. And on May 5, TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael was elected as the new president of Tigray. "The interim administration no longer exists," the party's deputy, Amanuel Assefa, told AFP news agency."

"Debretsion entered the president's office and stated that he started working, Mulugeta Atsbeha, a journalist and former correspondent for the Voice of America (VOA) Tigrigna service, told DW. The TPLF is reinstating its control of Tigray This move appears to pose a challenge to Tadesse Werede, the president of the Tigray Transitional Administration appointed by the Ethiopian government. Werede said in a social media post cited by The Reporter Ethiopia that the group attempting"

In 2020, Ethiopia postponed planned elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of extending his term unconstitutionally and organized local elections in Tigray, winning them while denying federal legal authority over the region. The dispute escalated into armed conflict between the TPLF and the Ethiopian National Defense Force, with an estimated 600,000 deaths between 2020 and 2022. After the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022, the 2020 local election results were annulled and an Interim Regional Administration was created, sidelining TPLF wartime leaders. After disagreements, the TPLF restored the Tigray State Council in April and elected Debretsion Gebremichael as president on May 5, declaring the interim administration no longer existed.

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