Mekelle--Residents of Maichew, Southern Tigray, staged a peaceful demonstration today opposing the recent leadership reshuffle by the Tigray Interim Administration under Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, according to local media reports.
The protest comes after Lt. Gen. Tadesse, president of the interim administration, appointed Zenabu Gebremedhin, a central committee member of the TPLF, as chief administrator of the South Tigray zone on 24 August, replacing Haftu Kiros. Zenabu and his deputy officially assumed office on 26 August.
Community representatives and local residents met Zenabu shortly after his appointment to express concerns over the reshuffle. During today's demonstration, protesters demanded that the Interim Administration respect self-rule and rejected what they described as imposed governance.
During an interview with a local media outlet yesterday, Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, President of the Tigray Interim Administration, defended the recent administrative reshuffle as part of a broader restructuring effort, noting that the appointment of Zenabu Gebremedhin as the new Chief Administrator followed a careful review of the situation.
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"The former zone head issued a statement without my knowledge, even calling for federal government intervention. The president of the region is the only authority that can request such action. The federal government can also act unilaterally--but not the zonal administration. I told him to stop. He did not. I had to replace him," Lt. Gen. Tadesse said.
Upon taking office, Zenabu pledged to serve with "integrity and commitment," vowing that his cabinet would hold "continuous public dialogues to build consensus."
The leadership reshuffle, which began in July with the formation of a new zonal committee led by Asmelash Reda, has been met with resistance. Several appointees declined their positions, while regional political parties and civil society organizations criticized the move as a power centralization effort. The Alliance of Civil Society Organizations of Tigray (ACSOT) also denounced the use of security forces to enforce the changes.
Outgoing administrator Haftu Kiros told Addis Standard the decision was "completely wrong and unacceptable," accusing Lt. Gen. Tadesse of breaking his pledge to respect the people's will.
"He promised he would consider the people's will when he elects an administrator. But he broke his vow. What he's doing now is to please a clique of TPLF and external forces," Haftu said.
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Earlier in May, residents of Maichew staged protests after TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael suggested that the party would pursue "leadership adjustments" in the zone.
In response to ongoing concerns, Lt. Gen. Tadesse emphasized that the reshuffle is a legitimate administrative measure, stating, "We are merely fulfilling our responsibilities. There should be no misunderstanding."
