• Amanuel Asefa elected as the vice chairman, replacing Getachew Reda

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), whose leadership has split into two warring factions, has entered into uncharted waters. During the contested 14th TPLF congress, deemed illegal by the opposing faction and unrecognized by the National Board of Ethiopia, Debretsion Gebremichael was reelected as the chairperson of the TPLF. He will continue serving as the deputy head of state for the Tigray region. The relatively unknown Amanuel Assefa, who previously served as the party’s spokesperson, has been elected as the new vice chairman, replacing Getachew Reda. Given past precedents, this role positions Assefa as a likely candidate for the presidency of the region.

The TPLF old guard’s faction elected two of the party’s top leaders at the conclusion of a controversial congress held at Mekele’s Martyrs Hall over the past six days.

The election of Amanuel Asefa as vice chairman, replacing Getachew Reda, might be seen by some as a coup d’état and could lead to potential confrontation with the other faction. How this development impacts both the party and the region will be closely watched. Meanwhile, Getachew Reda’s faction, which held a counter meeting on Sunday, denounced the TPLF congress as illegal and rejected its outcomes as unacceptable. This division within the party could lead to further complexities in the TPLF’s internal politics and its external relations.

At the congress led by Debretsion’s faction, nine members of the TPLF’s Executive Committee and 45 central committee members were elected. Only three of the TPLF’s Executive Committee members from the previous election six years ago—Fetlework Gebregziabher (known as Monjorino), Abraham Tekeste, and Debretsion—were reelected. Former senior leaders Alem Gebrewahed and Getachew Assefa did not make it onto the list of executive members but were included in the Central Committee. Party members allied with Getachew Reda, who boycotted the congress, were excluded from central committee responsibilities but if members “submit their request in writing,” they could be reinstated to their membership, the party stated. Among those banned is Beyene Mekru, who previously led the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray, which manages large companies such as Mesebo Cement Factory. Also included are Kindeya Gebrehiwot, President of Mekelle University; Hagos Godefay, the former head of the health bureau in Tigray; and Redae Halefom, head of the Tigray Communication Bureau.

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia does not recognize the 14th TPLF congress, so it is unclear how its outcomes will be handled. Speaking on the Tigray-affiliated broadcaster Dimtsi Weyane a few days ago, Getachew Reda warned that the insurgent TPLF conference could plunge the region into chaos. He also suggested that the leaders in charge of the conference might be plotting to seize control of the interim administration.