Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede was appointed as the interim president of the Tigray region on Tuesday, succeeding Getachew Reda.
Prior to this role, Tadesse served as the deputy president of Tigray’s interim administration and led the cabinet secretariat for peace and security.
He has been tasked with facilitating the complete return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their original residences.
In a signed one-page document, he is also responsible for ensuring the prompt disarmament and reintegration of former combatants, in accordance with the Pretoria Agreement.
The swearing-in ceremony was graced by prominent officials from the government, including the newly elected Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
Concerns have arisen in the region regarding the deepening political divide within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which could potentially trigger a civil war similar to the one that concluded in 2022 with a peace agreement.
The party has been advocating for the dismissal of Reda and others since last year, seeking to install a new slate of endorsed candidates while expelling him and several cabinet members from party membership.
In March, armed forces loyal to the party seized control of the administrations in several key towns, including Adigrat, the region’s second-largest city, an action Reda described as a “coup.” Amid escalating tensions, he subsequently fled to the capital, Addis Ababa.
