The opposition party Salsay Weyane Tigray has called for the interim administration in the Tigray region to be dissolved and re-established. In a statement yesterday, the opposition party criticized the administration, stating that it has failed to fulfill its responsibilities and has neglected and giving away the national interests of the Tigray region. Meanwhile, the interim administration of the Tigray region has announced plans to establish an advisory council soon.

After two years of the genocidal war, the Tigray Region Interim Administration, established in March 2023 to provide transitional governance in the region, is facing criticism from opposition political parties for not fulfilling its responsibilities. Critics, including opponents, claim that the interim administration did not facilitate the return of displaced individuals as expected, did not respect Tigray’s territory, and did not ensure peace and security. They propose different ideas to address these issues.

Salsay Weyane Tigray, one of the opposition political parties in the Tigray region, has called for the dissolution and re-establishment of the current interim administration. Alula Hailu, the chairman of Salsay Weyane Tigray, stated, “We are advocating for the re-establishing of the interim administration. To achieve this, we propose convening a national assembly and forming an inclusive administration with various bodies. Following that, we suggest establishing a strong council within the interim administration.”

In regard to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the region, the chairman criticized the lack of progress in their return to their homes. “For the past four summers, the IDPs of the region were promised that they would be able to return to their homes, but this has not been fulfilled,” he stated.

The chairman also expressed concern that the forces occupying Tigray are becoming stronger and causing further displacement of residents. “The people displaced from West Tigray are now scattered across different areas of the region,” he added. “Many IDPs are currently living in shelters and are facing hunger and dying due to a lack of food aid.”

Additionally, Tigrayan refugees in Sudan are facing challenges with the recent change in the country’s currency. “Security threats have prevented them from accessing banks to exchange currency, leading to serious problems,” the chairman explained.

In his statement, the chairman criticized the interim administration, accusing them of doing nothing to return displaced people to their villages or restore territorial unity in the region. He stated that the two agendas his party identified as key to national unity – the return of displaced persons and preservation of territorial unity – were being used for political propaganda.

The chairman claimed that the agendas were abandoned due to the dominance of one political power in the interim administration, which resulted in the neglect of these important issues when the administration faced challenges.

Earlier this year, four political parties in Tigray suggested that the root cause of the region’s problems is political and proposed that establishing a civilian interim administration with a council comprising all political forces in the region could be the solution.

Meanwhile, three opposition political parties, namely the Tigray Independence Party, Arena Tigray for Sovereignty and Democracy, and National Congress of Great Tigray, recently pledged to work together. They have requested the interim administration in the Tigray region to establish an all-inclusive council.