Shock over sackings of Tigray politicians in Ethiopia

The interim leader of Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray, Getachew Reda, has taken the unprecedented move of sacking four senior officials.

They are also key members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the party which agreed to a peace pact with government last November after a brutal two-year civil war.

He gave no reason for firing his deputy Alem Gebrewahid, who is also the TPLF’s chairperson, Amanuel Assefa, the chief cabinet secretary, Liya Kassa, the South Eastern Zone administrator and Teklay Gebremedhin, who headed the North Western Zone.

But the move has caused shockwaves in the region, especially within the TPLF.

It also comes a week after the region marked the one-year anniversary of the peace deal that established the interim administration, which has faced criticism for not doing more to help those affected by the war.

Millions of people are still living in displacement centres in a dire situation and with there is anger that armed groups from the Amhara region and Eritrean troops are still in Tigray.

Last month, Mr. Getachew complained that zonal administrators were working to undermine his administration.

The TPLF, which has dominated the region for nearly half a century, has not yet responded to the sackings.