Ethiopia renews tenure of Tigray regional leader

Ethiopia on Wednesday extended the mandate of the interim administrator of the northern Tigray region by one year, raising uncertainty over elections scheduled for June in the restive region.

Tigray still suffers from the aftermath of a brutal two-year conflict, ended by a 2022 peace deal that established the interim administration.

The war was one of the deadliest in recent decades, claiming roughly 600,000 lives and pitting Tigrayan rebels against federal forces, supported by local militias and the Eritrean army.

The conflict disrupted legislative and regional elections in 2021, leading to the appointment of veteran Tigray politician Getachew Reda to head the interim administration.

Getachew, who faced growing criticism within the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), was replaced in April last year by Tigrayan General Tadesse Werede.

"Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has extended by one year the mandate of General Tadesse Werede, with effect from April 9, 2026," the head of the Ethiopian executive announced on X.

Tadesse's one-year extension raises doubts over polls planned for June 1, when Tigray is due to elect leaders to its local parliament and government, as well as MPs to the federal parliament.

With no elections held, Tigrayan legislators have not sat in the federal parliament since 2021.

The TPLF says the return of around one million people -- out of Tigray’s roughly six million residents -- still displaced since the 2020–2022 conflict is a prerequisite for holding the vote.

For several weeks, federal troops and the Tigrayan forces have been massed at the Tigray border, sparking tension on renewed conflict.

The federal authorities have accused the TPLF of growing closer to neighbouring Eritrea, which maintains fragile relations with Addis Ababa. The group has denied this.