PM Welcomes Ex-TIA President With Cabinet Position

The Prime Minister has carved out a new role in his cabinet to accommodate Getachew Reda, whose role as the first-ever ‘East African Affairs Advisor’ began almost immediately following the end of his two-year tenure as head of the Tigray Interim Administration earlier this week.

Getachew’s political accomplishments, background in law, and extensive diplomatic ties make him a fitting candidate for the new position, whose establishment coincides with growing tensions in the Horn of Africa and Ethiopia’s pursuit of maritime access.

He leaves behind a troubled Tigray Interim Administration (TIA) to be headed by Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede.

Senior officials and diplomats, including new AUC Chair and former Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, were present during a ceremony to mark Tadesse’s appointment this week. The PM thanked Getachew for leading post-conflict Tigray for two years.

Getachew Reda rose to prominence during the EPRDF era, eventually assuming the role of Minister of Government Communication Affairs under Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. Unlike many of his peers at the time, Getachew did not participate in armed struggle against the Derg regime.

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Following the political upheaval of 2018, Getachew was among the TPLF members who retreated to Mekelle. During the two-year war, Getachew was a staunch critic of Abiy Ahmed and his administration.

Now, he serves alongside Foreign Minister Gedion Timotiwos (PhD), whose diplomacy skills he criticized openly during a recent AU-led meeting to review progress under the Pretoria Agreement.

Pundits have differing views on Getachew’s return to the federal government. Some say he is a brilliant fit for the role, while others see his appointment as a calculated political maneuver designed to keep Getachew “not too far from Addis Ababa, and not too close to Tigray.”

Many argue the fashion of Getachew’s ouster from the TIA presidency speaks for itself.

“The position also helps the PM to monitor the TPLF faction’s movements in the Horn region. Getachew knows the TPLF inside-out, and since the new President of Tigray is expected to face the same challenges he faced, the PM can use Getachew to stabilize any future problems that might arise in Tigray,” said one analyst.