Ethiopia appoints interim Tigray government after TPLF ouster

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Friday an interim administration would be established in the northern Tigray region, which has been controlled by rebels who have clashed with federal forces in recent weeks. The Tigray People's Liberation Front launched a major offensive against government forces on September 23, before being pushed back and losing control of its strongholds, including the regional capital. The region had been outside of Addis Ababa's control and did not participate in June's federal elections, which were resoundingly won by Abiy's Prosperity Party. The caretaker government will create a stable political situation to allow for the holding of transparent elections, Abiy's office said on social media following a cabinet decision. The region fought a 2020-2022 war against federal forces supported by Eritrean troops, which left an estimated 600,000 people dead before a 2022 peace deal ended the fighting but provoked lingering discontent over the terms.