Ethiopia Appoints New Interim Governor of Tigray State

The Ethiopian government has appointed Dr Abraham Belay as chief executive of the interim administration of the northern Tigray regional state.

Dr Abraham is the current president of the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) and also serves as minister of innovation and technology.

He replaces Dr Mulu Nega, who took up the post on 15 November 2020 shortly after a military operation in the Tigray region to oust officials from the former ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

The TPLF has since been designated a terrorist organisation. Some of its key leaders and forces have been arrested, while others are said to be on the run as an insurgency persists in remote parts of Tigray.

Dr Abraham’s appointment comes as the federal government plans to launch an inclusive national dialogue to end the political and humanitarian crisis in the troubled region.

The authorities have also pledged to increase security and humanitarian access as allegations of attacks linked to federal and Eritrean forces continue to be reported.