• House decides to establish an interim administration in Tigray

Kirakir, a village town in Tsegedie Woreda of Central Gondar Zone of Amhara region, where fighting took place on Wednesday, appeared calm on Friday morning, residents told Deutsche Welle Amharic. On the other hand, a local resident reported that skirmishes took place in the Mediregenet and Abderafi areas of the zone. Residents told the radio that clashes between the Tigray special forces and the federal army had subsided in some areas while shelling and shooting were heard in other villages yesterday. Kirkar, the village that witnessed fighting on Wednesday was calm today after troops of the federal army took control of it, residents were quoted as saying. The residents also said that the federal troops entered the Tigray side of Tsegede and seized the woreda’s capital, Nigus. At least five persons were killed in the gun battles in Central Gondar zone, hospital sources said.

The row between the federal government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has been simmering for months. Prime Minister Abiy three days ago ordered the military to mount an offensive against Tigray, after an attack on a federal army base has resulted in “many martyrs, injuries and property damage”.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said airstrikes had been carried out on military targets in Tigray. He said on Friday that airstrikes had already neutralized “rockets that can hit a range of 300km from where they are stationed in Mekele City and other places in the vicinity”, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported.

In related news, the Ethiopian House of Federation has decided to establish an interim administration in Tigray regional state. In an emergency session today, the House declared the Tigray leadership had “violated the constitution and endangered the constitutional system.” It said a new caretaker administration would hold elections and “implement decisions passed on by the federal government”. The council also ordered the Prime Minister to deploy the federal police and the armed forces in the region. The House, in accordance with its mandate, will take steps to address the threat to the constitutional order in collaboration with other relevant government bodies, it said. A statement posted on the Facebook page of the Tigray government described the move as “a nightmare”.