Ethiopia’s government set up a six-month federal caretaker administration for Tigray on 16 October, with a regional election among its main tasks. Its four chief executives include Asefa Abraha, a former Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) negotiator, and Brigadier General Gebre Egziabher Beyene of the Tigray Peace Forces, which fight alongside the federal army. The move follows the TPLF’s loss of Mekelle and the breakdown of the arrangements agreed in the 2022 Pretoria peace deal. It is the first federal takeover of Tigray’s government since November 2020, when a similar caretaker failed to establish authority and federal troops left within eight months. The TPLF has called Tigrayans who work with Addis Ababa traitors.
Sources
- The Reporter Ethiopia: https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/53427/
- Associated Press (via ClickOnDetroit): https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/world/2026/10/16/ethiopia-sets-up-tigray-caretaker-government-as-ex-fighters-seek-return-to-civilian-life/
- ACLED: https://acleddata.com/expert-comment/does-ethiopias-new-caretaker-administration-signal-end-pretoria-peace-agreement