Ethiopia's PM Abiy appoints new leader of Tigray administration

By Dawit Endeshaw

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday appointed Tadesse Worede to lead the interim administration in the northern Tigray region, where divisions in the ruling party have sparked fears of a renewed war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Tadesse, the administration's deputy president for the last two years, was a top commander in the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) during the 2020-2022 war with Ethiopia's federal government, which killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions from their homes.

Eritrean forces fought in support of Ethiopia's federal army during that conflict, but relations between the longtime rivals have since soured over an agreement ending the conflict signed in November 2022.

Analysts say Ethiopia's neighbour Eritrea was unhappy at being excluded from the deal, which allowed the TPLF, with which it remains deeply hostile, to govern Tigray.

Last year the TPLF split into two factions, with a dissident group led by Debretsion Gebremichael accusing Tigray's interim administration - led initially by TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda, whose two-year term has now expired - of selling out Tigrayan interests.

Debretsion's faction, which seized the town of Adigrat last month, has denied administration accusations of allying with Eritrea, heightening the risk of a regional war.

In February, Eritrea ordered a nationwide military mobilisation, according to a human rights group. Ethiopia deployed troops toward their shared border, although Abiy has sought to downplay the prospect of conflict.

Tadesse, who analysts say has stayed largely neutral over the TPLF split, has agreed to eight commitments including the return of people displaced by the war and demobilisation of combatants, according to a letter shared by Abiy's spokesperson Billene Seyoum.

"(Tadesse) has a clear understanding of both the strengths and shortcomings of the previous administration, and many believe he is well-positioned to guide Tigray through this critical transition," Abiy wrote on X.

"It is my hope that (Tadesse) will seize this historic opportunity to help the people of Tigray realize their aspirations for peace and development," he added.

(This story has been corrected to fix the month when Eritrea ordered mobilisation, in paragraph 7)

(Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by George Obulutsa, Jan Harvey)