May 5, 2026
Ethiopian Federal Government still silent as tension escalates in the region
Borkena
Toronto – As expected TPLF , through the Pre-war Tigray regional Council, named Debretsion Gebremichael as president of the region.
Sources close to the TPLF said it was the sixth year session of the sixth regular session of the council that “elected” Debretsion Gebremichael as president.
Kiros Hagos is named speaker while Mihret Berhe is assigned to the deputy speaker role.
The move came amid growing concern from the diplomatic community in Addis Ababa including the European Union. They expressed concern that TPLF action could reignite conflict in the region.
The United States was reportedly working to entice TPLF leaders from taking actions that jeopardize the Pretoria Agreement which ended the two years bloody war with the Federal government.
At the time of this writing, the Abiy Ahmed led Federal government has not released a statement regarding the situation in Tigray.
The TPLF nullified the Pretoria Agreement in a reaction to the extension of Tadesse Worede’s, who was himself a TPLF member, term as president of the Interim Administration in Tigray – one of the key Pretoria Agreement arrangements.
It said the extension violates the agreement as the Federal government action in extending Tadesse terms as a “unilateral action.” The Federal government argues that it was lawful. Abera Nigus, Addis Ababa based an ethnic Tigray lawyer and one of the key opinion leaders from the region, says both the TPLF and Federal government actions are illegal.
Concern is still growing that the TPLF action could lead to another devastating war in the region. Actors like the European Union tend to see that if conflict breaks out again, it will affect the entire region.
The United States has been quietly working to avert conflict in the region including by threatening the TPLF leaders with sanction regimes including asset freeze and travel ban.
The Eritrean government is supporting the TPLF action. Reports indicated that the Eritrean government is particularly interested in the election of Debretsion as president of the region. The Ethiopian government has been accusing Eritrea of violating its sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Awamba Times founder Dawit Kebede reported on his social media page that roads leading to the President office in Mekelle were closed on Tuesday following TPLF’s action. He added that there were also reports of SU-27 fighter jets maneuvering over Mekelle Skies.
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