Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is scheduled to meet with TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael today, according to reliable sources. The meeting comes on the heels of recent statements from two factions within the TPLF.
On Monday, Debretsion’s faction dismissed Tigray’s interim president, Getachew Reda, along with 12 cabinet members and other officials from the interim government. In response, Getachew’s faction has refused to resign and announced intentions to take legal action against the leaders of Debretsion’s group.
In a statement issued late last night, the Tigray Security Forces (TSF) cautioned both factions, emphasizing that they would not permit any disorder or instability resulting from the conflicting announcements.
Meanwhile, the federal government has remained silent, offering no official comments since yesterday. Getachew Reda, a former senior TPLF leader, was appointed as the interim regional president by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in March 2023, following a recommendation from the TPLF. Getachew had been elected for this position by the TPLF’s central committee.
Last month, the Debretsion faction expelled Getachew Reda and 16 other central committee members from the party. Getachew and his associates have rejected this decision and plan to convene a party congress, asserting their representation of the authentic TPLF. Amidst this split, the Debretsion faction has declared that Getachew is no longer part of the TPLF and called for a new president to be appointed by the party.
It has been reported that the Debretsion faction did not consult the federal government prior to making these significant decisions. Federal officials have stated that the TPLF lacks the authority to remove or appoint the interim president or cabinet members.
It appears that during the meeting, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will urge the Debretsion faction to pursue legal avenues for the removal of the interim president. The Debretsion group may be asked to propose new candidates to the federal government for the appointment of the regional president.