Ethiopia - March 2025

On 10 March, a political and military rift within Tigray’s interim administration escalated into a power struggle, raising fears of renewed conflict. Tension intensified after interim president Getachew Reda suspended three senior Tigray Defence Force (TDF) commanders, accusing them of plotting a coup. A rival faction, backed by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and its chair Debretsion Gebremichael, responded by installing its own officials in provincial offices and taking over Mekelle’s mayoral office and regional radio station, sidelining Getachew. The crisis stems from divisions over the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, which ended the federal war in Tigray but left key disputes unresolved. Gen. Tsadkan Gebretensae, Tigray’s vice-president, warned that war could erupt ‘at any moment’. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed Getachew’s removal, blamed the interim administration for failing to deliver peace or elections, and invited Tigrayan stakeholders to nominate a new leader.

Sources: Addis Standard (1), Addis Standard (2), Africa Confidential, The Guardian, International Crisis Group, British Broadcasting Corporation