Ethiopia on Friday appointed a former rebel and recently ousted Tigrayan leader as a government minister, a move analysts fear could exacerbate divisions in the increasingly restive northern region.
Tigray still suffers from the aftermath of a brutal two-year conflict, ended by a 2022 peace deal that established the interim administration.
The war was one of the deadliest in recent decades, claiming roughly 600,000 lives and pitting Tigrayan rebels against federal forces, supported by local militias and the Eritrean army.
Getachew Reda was ousted as leader of the interim administration, replaced earlier this month by the head of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), Debretsion Gebremichael, after an internal power struggle.
‘Ultimate betrayal’
On Friday, Getachew was appointed by Addis Ababa as an "advisor on East African affairs to the Prime Minister with the rank of minister," according to an X post.
The 50-year-old previously served as minister of communications until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018.
Many residents, deeply weary of war, are panicking over the threat of renewed conflict with reports of bank runs and sold-out flights
Getachew's appointment is the "ultimate betrayal and risks increasing polarisation" across the region for both elites and general population, said Mehdi Labzae, an Ethiopia specialist at France's National Centre for Scientific Research.
"Getachew Reda has maintained great popularity, he carries weight, we'll see what happens now," he told AFP.
‘True colours’
Horn of Africa specialist Kjetil Tronvoll agreed, saying the appointment will "accentuate divisions" in a region still devastated by the bloodletting.
"Getachew Reda will be accused of showing his true colours by collaborating with the enemy," he told AFP.
While peace has mostly returned to the region, a failure to fully implement the terms of the 2022 Pretoria peace deal has fuelled divisions within the Tigrayan political elite.
And the TPLF divisions have rekindled fears of a new conflict, with armed men loyal to Debretsion seizing several towns last month and overthrowing mayors appointed by the interim administration.
Relations are also strained between Ethiopia and its neighbour Eritrea, which is accused of supporting Debretsion's faction.
