BY SUMUR TSEHAYE
TPLF senior official, Getachew Reda is elected to serve as president in the Interim Administration of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
Getachew’s election comes two days after he met and held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Addis Ababa.
Blinken arrived in Addis Ababa on late Tuesday as part of a push by President Joe Biden’s administration to step up engagement with Africa, where China and Russia have been stepping up influence.
Exclusive sources told The East African Daily that Getachew’s post to the regional top position was approved by the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed following yesterday’s meeting of the central committee of TPLF.
According to credible sources, the central committee of TPLF held a meeting on Friday, after PM Abiy rejected the committee’s previous nomination of TPLF’s chairman, Debretsion Gebremichael, to resume the post.
In the meeting, 7 of the total 41 members of the central committee were proposed for the position; Getachew Reda, the spokesperson of TPLF, was nominated after gaining the majority, 18, votes from the committee members.
Both Getachew Reda and Abiy Ahmed had held a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Discussions mainly focused on the implementation of the peace agreement signed in Pretoria last November between Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and federal government.
“We held in-depth discussions on various domestic, bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest. We have agreed to strengthen the long-standing bilateral relations between our countries with a commitment to partnership”. Abiy tweeted on Wednesday after meeting the US top diplomat.
Similarly, Getachew Reda, TPLF’s chief negotiator who signed the Pretoria peace accord stated that he met and briefed Blinken on “the progress in the implementation of the Peace Agreement and the stumbling blocks going forward”.
“We have reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to peace and to rise up to the challenges posed by forces bent on sabotaging peace; and our readiness to do our part in addressing the lingering issues ostensibly standing in the way of all rounded efforts to alleviate the sufferings of our people including the establishment of an interim administration” Getachew, a former Ethiopia’s Communication Minister said.
“Equally important, we have shared our views on the need to ensure accountability for crimes committed in the war on and in Tigray” Getachew asserted.
He added “While the a robust transitional justice framework is commendable, it’s our position that accountability for crimes in Tigray goes beyond a national framework hence the need for international efforts”
Tigray conflict which broke out in November 2020 has claimed the lives of over 600,000 people and displaced millions more.
The conflict ended after TPLF and the Ethiopian government signed a peace deal in Pretoria last November.
(The East African Daily)
Good to see the Peace Process to reach this Level! Thanks for All who put their Effort on this Peace Process and such Peace Issues!