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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – The upper house of Ethiopia’s parliament voted Saturday to establish an interim administration in the Tigray region, where fighting this week between regional and federal government forces raised fears that a major African power could slip into civil war.
The Federation Chamber’s decision paves the way for the removal of the leadership of the northern region of Tigray, which the federal government of Ethiopia considers illegal. The decision does not require further approval and gives Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed the power to coordinate and implement the measures.
The federal government of Ethiopia said that “the transitional administration will appoint officials, guarantee respect for the rule of law, approve the region’s budget and facilitate the process of conducting the elections”.
In a new statement on Saturday, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister said “criminal elements cannot escape the rule of law under the pretext of seeking reconciliation and an appeal for dialogue.” He said the federal government’s ongoing military operations aim to “end the impunity that has prevailed for too long.”
Experts and diplomats watched in dismay as two heavily armed forces clash in one of the most strategic yet vulnerable regions, the Horn of Africa. Observers warn that a civil war in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with 110 million people, could suck in or destabilize neighboring countries such as Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.
A statement posted Saturday on the Facebook page of the Tigray government, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, said it will win the ongoing “justified” war and added that “a fighter will not negotiate with his enemies.”
“The people of Tigray are now armed with modern weapons that could reach the headquarters of the infidels,” he added, an apparent reference to the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. There was no reference to Saturday’s move by the federal government.
The conflict in Tigray is taking place between former allies in the ruling coalition of Ethiopia who now consider themselves illegal.
The TPLF long dominated the country’s military and government before Abiy took office in 2018 and introduced radical political reforms that earned him the Nobel. These changes, however, left the TPLF marginalized and broke up last year when Abiy tried to turn the coalition into a single Prosperity Party.
Tensions have increased in recent weeks when the Tigray region, objecting to the delay in national elections until next year and Abiy’s extended tenure, held a local election in September that the federal government called illegal.
The ongoing fighting began early Wednesday when Abiy accused TPLF forces of attacking a military base in Tigray. On Friday, in a major escalation, Abiy announced that air strikes in multiple locations around the Tigray capital “completely destroyed rockets and other heavy weapons” and made a retaliatory strike impossible.
Military operations will continue, the prime minister said, and warned the people of Tigray: “To avoid unforeseen dangers, I advise you to limit group movements in the cities.”
Communications remain almost completely disrupted with the Tigray region, making it difficult to verify the claims of both sides and leading to requests from aid groups and human rights groups to restore internet and telephone connections.
They also warn of a humanitarian disaster in preparation if the conflict continues, which experts are likely to warn if the two sides reject the talks.
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Elias Meseret contributed to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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