Authorities in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have called on the federal government for assistance after a faction of the ruling party seized control of a key northern town, raising concerns about renewed instability in the war-ravaged region.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which leads Tigray’s interim administration established in 2023 under a peace deal, has fractured into two rival factions—each claiming leadership of the party.
On Tuesday, forces loyal to Debretsion Gebremichael took control of the town of Adigrat, according to a statement on his faction’s official Facebook page. His rival, Getachew Reda, who heads Tigray’s interim government, accused Debretsion’s group of an armed takeover and dismissed three senior military commanders, alleging they sought to destabilize the region.
In a statement on Wednesday, Getachew urged Addis Ababa to intervene, warning that “those acting in the name of the security forces are agents of a backward and criminal clique” and that silence from the federal government would risk violating the 2022 Pretoria peace accord.
The Ethiopian government, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office, and Debretsion’s faction have yet to comment on the developments.