The dominant party in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has nominated its spokesman Getachew Reda to lead a regional interim government established by a peace agreement that ended a two-year war in the area.
In a conflict that killed tens of thousands of people, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fought Ethiopian forces and their allies.
After a string of battlefield victories by federal troops, a truce was reached last November.
If the federal government approves Getachew’s nomination, which was reported by the TPLF-controlled Tigrai TV, he will succeed TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael, who has governed Tigray since 2018.
It is unclear when the federal government will make a decision on Getachew’s candidature or when the interim administration will be established.
According to aid workers, the absence of an interim government has hampered the humanitarian response across Tigray, where millions are in desperate need of assistance.
Salaries for civil employees and medical staff have not been paid, and aid organisations have reported a lack of a clear interlocutor.
Getachew’s nomination came just days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ethiopia and praised the country’s leaders for making progress in implementing the peace treaty while cautioning that more work was required.
During that visit, Blinken discussed the importance of establishing the interim government with Getachew and Ethiopian officials.