Getachew Reda, President of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray, has issued a strong and urgent appeal to all stakeholders—both domestic and international—to take immediate and decisive steps to prevent the region from descending once again into conflict and instability. His statement comes amid growing concerns over renewed violence, following alarming developments on the ground.
In a press briefing held in Addis Ababa on Thursday, Reda accused a breakaway faction of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of engaging in illegal and destabilizing actions across the region. The faction, which no longer holds official or legal recognition within the Tigray Regional State, is alleged to have launched coordinated attempts to disrupt local governance by forcefully taking over administrative offices and institutions.
Reda stated that the group has unlawfully seized control of government seals and offices at various levels of the regional administration—including kebele (neighborhood), woreda (district), and zonal levels—in an apparent effort to sabotage the operations of the interim government and create a parallel power structure.
According to recent reports, this same faction is believed to have taken control of two key towns in the region, sparking violent confrontations that left several people injured. These developments have fueled widespread fears that Tigray could be on the brink of another devastating round of internal conflict, just months after the ceasefire agreement brought a fragile peace to the war-torn region.
While Reda emphasized that the interim administration has not formally requested intervention from Ethiopia’s federal government at this stage, he made it clear that national authorities bear a significant responsibility to monitor the situation and prevent a relapse into conflict. “The federal government cannot afford to remain passive,” Reda said, warning that the consequences of inaction could be severe for both Tigray and the broader stability of Ethiopia.
The interim leader called on all relevant actors—including local communities, federal officials, and international partners—to remain vigilant and work together to uphold the gains made under the peace agreement signed in Pretoria in late 2022. He warned that the current situation if left unchecked, could unravel the fragile progress achieved so far in terms of reconstruction, reconciliation, and regional stabilization.
In his concluding remarks, Reda urged the international community to play a more active role in supporting peace and institutional integrity in Tigray. He stressed that the people of Tigray deserve a peaceful future, free from fear, division, and external manipulation.
Local media reports indicate that the interim administration is actively engaging with various stakeholders and monitoring developments closely. The administration continues to call for calm and restraint among the public while exploring all legal and diplomatic avenues to resolve the emerging crisis peacefully.
