Reda departs as Tigray leader as PM Ahmed looks for replacement

MEKELLE, Ethiopia - Tigray region shall have a new president after the term of Getachew Reda expires, paving the way for the recruitment of another individual whose main task would be the implementation of the sections of the Pretoria Agreement which was signed two years ago.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called for the people of Tigray 'to participate in the nomination of candidates for the position of interim administration president'. Tigray is having an interim regional administration following two years of civil war in northern Ethiopia.

“There may be a change in its leadership," Ahmed told MPs during his address in parliament last week while confirming the exit of Reda, whose tenure expired. The constitution allows the Prime Minister to actively recruit another leader who shall serve for the next year.

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 escalation this week.

Reda had differed with former regional leader Debretsion Gebremichael, TPLF’s chairman, who has been pushing for his exit. He accused Reda of destabilizing the Tigray region and had initiated his removal from the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

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.

According to Addis Standard, 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.”

But Reda has requested necessary assistance from the federal government. “The power struggle, which disregards the people’s safety and well-being, has led to instability and chaos,” Reda had 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. There have been challenges in the implementation of the Pretoria Accord.

GAROWE ONLINE