Ethiopia Announces Six-Month Caretaker Government for Tigray

Ethiopia’s federal government has announced a six-month caretaker administration for Tigray, saying it will prepare the region for elections and work to promote stability after renewed fighting and a change in control of the regional capital, Mekelle. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said the administration would operate under federal oversight. It also said five officials had been appointed, including Mekelle’s mayor. The announcement followed a cabinet decision, and the office described elections within six months as a goal of the interim period. The announcement sets out a plan; it does not establish that the administration has begun operating or that elections will take place. The appointment comes after fighting between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) escalated in recent weeks. Government-allied fighters entered Mekelle on October 4 after the TPLF withdrew, according to reporting on the change in control. The region had been outside federal control and did not take part in Ethiopia’s June federal elections, which were won by Abiy’s Prosperity Party. Abiy’s office said the caretaker administration is intended to create conditions for free...