Abiy Receives Tigray Interim Administration’s Annual Report as Humanitarian and Governance Strains Intensify.

The Office of the Prime Minister announced this morning that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed heard the annual report of the Tigray Regional State Interim Administration, presented by its President, Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, and held discussions on the report’s findings.

Lieutenant General Tadesse was appointed interim president of the Tigray Regional State a year ago, on April 8, 2025, replacing Getachew Reda. At the time, Prime Minister Abiy said Tadesse was “widely believed to be well‑versed in the strengths and challenges of the previous administration, and therefore well‑prepared to lead Tigray at this critical time.”

During last year’s handover ceremony, Lieutenant General Tadesse signed a one‑page document outlining eight key tasks expected of the interim administration. The document, titled Inclusive Tigray Regional State Interim Administration Mission Implementation Agreement, included a pledge to “faithfully and diligently” carry out the administration’s responsibilities.

Among the priority tasks were facilitating the full return of displaced persons to their homes, accelerating similar efforts in remaining areas, and expediting the disarmament and reintegration of former combatants in accordance with the Pretoria Agreement.

However, many of these commitments remain unfulfilled. Communities across Tigray continue to face mounting pressures, including renewed restrictions and the denial of basic services. The federal government has cut subsidy allocations to the self‑established regional administration, and reports from the region indicate that banks are nearing service suspension due to severe cash shortages.

Displaced residents from Western Tigray—who have spent the past five years living in tents—are now facing a sixth rainy season under the same conditions. They continue to endure acute shortages of food and medicine, with no progress toward their return. Regional authorities say the federal government has abandoned its responsibilities under the Pretoria Agreement and is instead imposing additional forms of siege.