Addis Ababa – Officials in the Tigray region announced a plan to establish “inclusive, democratic and transparent” interim regional administration (IRA) within a short period of time according to the peace agreement signed between the federal government and Tigrayan authorities in Pretoria in November last year.

Article 10 of the Pretoria agreement stipulated that “…until elections for the Regional Council and the House of Peoples’ Representatives are held under the supervision of the Ethiopian National Election Board, the establishment of an inclusive Interim Regional Administration will be settled through political dialogue between the Parties”, a decision Tigrayan negotiating team signed, undoing the TPLF-led regional government administration which was elected into office in September 2020, just three months before the war broke out.

In a presser on Wednesday, Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede Commander-in-Chief of the Tigray armed forces and chairperson of Tigray interim regional administration establishing committee said that the IRA would be established because it is dictated in the peace agreement, and because “we need internal arrangements as there are lots of internal issues that should be given a priority.” Hardships in terms of accessing humanitarian aid and basic services have also necessitated the urgent establishment of the IRA.

“In every aspect, the process for the establishment of the IRA will be democratic, inclusive, and transparent. Members of the military, political parties, and scholars will be involved in this process,” said Tadesse.

According to Lt. Gen. Tadesse, the federal government and the committee have reached on a mutual understanding on the establishment of the interim regional administration.

Before its establishment, Tigrayan scholars will hold a discussion on how it should be established within the coming days and before the committee announces the establishment of the IRA in less than a week.

Muluwork Kidanemariam, one of the nine members of the committee, who was head of Tigray’s electoral commission during the 2020 regional elections, on his part reiterated what Lt. Gen. Tadesse said by adding that the aim of the establishment of interim administration was to solve the serious problems that the region is currently facing.

During discussions with PM Abiy Ahmed on 03 February, member of Tigray region negotiating team Getachew Reda said, “a transition that aims to resolve political issues with regard to the agreement, and that takes into account the political need of the Tigray people is ongoing in the region” adding that, it will be conducted “in a way that particularly address and resolve once and for all the issues that have led to the war and in a way that meets the aspirations of the Tigrayan people”. AS