Ethiopia names negotiators for looming Tigray peace process
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopian authorities have named a team of seven negotiators for possible peace talks with Tigray forces. The government’s negotiating team will be led by Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, he said. But the region’s top official, Debretsion Gebremichael, said in an open letter to the international community on June 15 that his side is open to peace talks. It remains unclear where the peace talks would happen. Tigray has been mostly cut off from the rest of Ethiopia after Tigray forces re-captured the regional capital a year ago and federal forces withdrew.
wftv.comEthiopia names negotiators for looming Tigray peace process
Ethiopian authorities have named a team of seven negotiators for possible peace talks with Tigray forces. The announcement comes after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced earlier in June the formation of a committee to handle negotiations with Tigray's ruling party, which the government declared a terrorist group last year. “The ruling Prosperity Party has laid out plans to settle the war in northern Ethiopia peacefully,” Justice Minister Gedion Timothewos told state media late Monday.
news.yahoo.comChina's 1st Horn of Africa envoy offers to mediate in region
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — China’s first special envoy to the Horn of Africa on Monday offered to mediate in disputes in the region as Beijing seeks to strengthen its influence and protect its investments from conflict. The strategic Horn of Africa region is anchored by Ethiopia, recently shaken by war that spread from its northern Tigray region. Ethiopian government spokesman Legesse Tulu didn’t immediately respond Monday when asked if the government would take up China’s mediation offer. Others attending the China-led peace conference were foreign ministers or deputies from Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Djibouti. China's interests in the Horn of Africa include its first overseas military base, in Djibouti; oil investments in Sudan and South Sudan; manufacturing in Ethiopia; and a range of infrastructure projects.
wftv.com35 children die in Ethiopia's Afar amid drought, conflict
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — At least 35 children have died in recent weeks due to drought and conflict in Ethiopia’s northeastern Afar region, according to a local hospital and the medical charity Doctors Without Borders. The announcement Thursday came days after a government minister denied that people have died due to food shortages. The Afar region also saw some of the fiercest fighting in the war that erupted in Ethiopia’s neighboring Tigray region in November 2020. “The number of malnourished and sick children arriving at our hospital is rising steadily. Fitsum Assefa, Ethiopia’s minister of planning and development, told cabinet members on Monday that 7.4 million people in the South, Oromia and Somali regions need food assistance.
wftv.comUN rejects Ethiopian attempt to deny funds for Tigray probe
The U.N.’s powerful budget committee has rejected an attempt by Ethiopia to deny funding for an investigation of violations of human rights abuses in the war between Ethiopian government forces and fighters from the country’s northern Tigray region
washingtonpost.comEthiopian court extends 3-month detention of AP journalist
An Ethiopian court has extended the three-month detention without charges of journalist Amir Aman Kiyaro to give police 11 more days to interview witnesses, saying after that the state must formally charge him or release him
washingtonpost.comEthiopia starts partial power generation from Blue Nile dam
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopia has started generating electricity from the controversial mega-dam that is being built on the Blue Nile. The milestone was reached on Sunday morning when one of the 13 turbines of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam started power generation in an event officiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. “From now on, there will be nothing that will stop Ethiopia,” Abiy said. “We just started generating power, but that doesn’t mean the project is completed,” said Kifle Horo, the dam’s project manager. Ethiopia contends the $4.2 billion dam is essential for its development and will enable it to distribute power to its population of more than 110 million.
wftv.comEthiopia starts partial power generation from Blue Nile dam
Ethiopia has started generating electricity from the controversial mega-dam that is being built on the Blue Nile. The milestone was reached on Sunday morning when one of the 13 turbines of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam started power generation in an event officiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. “From now on, there will be nothing that will stop Ethiopia,” Abiy said.
news.yahoo.comEthiopia lifts state of emergency early, citing calming war
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopian lawmakers have voted to end the country's three-month state of emergency as mediation efforts continue to end the deadly war in the north. Tuesday's vote by lawmakers came after Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, decided on Jan. 26 to end the state of emergency early, citing recent developments in the conflict. The six-month state of emergency was imposed in early November as Tigray forces fighting Ethiopian and allied forces moved closer to the capital, Addis Ababa. Thousands of mainly ethnic Tigrayans were detained under the state of emergency, according to witnesses, lawyers and human rights groups. There was no immediate word Tuesday on when the rest of the people detained under the state of emergency would be released.
wftv.comDiaspora group: Ethiopia PM open to talks with Tigray forces
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has never said so publicly as international mediation efforts continue amid one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The war shifted late last month when the Tigray forces, who had been moving closer to the capital, Addis Ababa, retreated into their northern region under pressure from a drone-supported military offensive. That was an unpopular decision for many Ethiopians, Mesfin told the AP. They expected Abiy’s deputy or chief of staff to attend, but the prime minister walked in. He listened.”There was no immediate comment on the chairman’s account from Abiy’s spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, or from Tigray forces spokesman Getachew Reda.
wftv.comUN chief: World worse now due to COVID, climate, conflict
As he starts his second term as U.N. secretary-general, Antonio Guterres says the world is worse in many ways than it was five years ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and geopolitical tensions that have sparked conflicts everywhere.
Ethiopian diaspora torn by ethnic tensions in Tigray war
Ethiopia Tigray War Divided Diaspora Negasi Beyene, who grew up in Mekele, the capital city of the Ethiopia's Tigray Region, holds a traditional Ethiopian flag Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 in Columbia, Md. They say the clergy is taking sides in a war between Tigray leaders and the Amhara, allied with the Ethiopian government, with an estimated tens of thousands of dead. The tensions in the church reflect how the war in Ethiopia has fueled divides across the more than 3 million members of the diaspora. The war started a little over a year ago, when a political dispute between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray leaders erupted into violence after a dispute over elections. Abiy transformed the federal coalition into a single Prosperity Party, and Tigrayan leaders later withdrew.
wftv.comEthiopian diaspora torn by ethnic tensions in Tigray war
Thousands of miles away from the war in Ethiopia, the ethnic cracks have started to show in an Ethiopian church in Ohio, in a lawsuit between trustees and clergy. The original trustees of the Holy Trinity Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Columbus have accused its clergy of switching the language of services from Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia, to Tigrinya, the language of the Tigray region. Church leaders say the changes weren’t political in nature.
news.yahoo.comNobel body criticizes peace prize winner Abiy over Tigray
Ethiopia Tigray Crisis FILE - Ethiopian government soldiers ride in the back of a truck on a road near Agula, north of Mekele, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, Saturday, May 8, 2021. Ethiopia's government has announced on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021 that its forces will not advance deeper into the Tigray region. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File) (Ben Curtis)COPENHAGEN, Denmark — (AP) — The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the prestigious Peace Prize, on Thursday issued a very rare admonition to the 2019 winner, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, over the war and humanitarian crisis in his country’s Tigray region. “As prime minister and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Abiy Ahmed has a special responsibility to end the conflict and contribute to peace,” the Oslo-based committee said in a statement. Abiy won the prize, in part, for making peace with neighboring Eritrea after one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.
wftv.comEthiopian drone strike kills 17 on day of Biden-Abiy call
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — An Ethiopian drone strike has killed 17 civilians in the country’s Tigray region on the day that President Joe Biden during a call with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed concern about such attacks in the ongoing war, local authorities say. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about it to reporters. A spokesman for Ethiopia’s government and military didn’t respond to questions about Monday’s drone strike. The White House said Biden raised to Abiy the airstrikes that continue to cause civilian casualties and suffering in Africa’s second most populous nation. The conflict entered a new phase in late December when Tigray forces retreated into their region amid a new military offensive and Ethiopian forces said they would not advance further there.
wftv.comBiden raises concerns to Ethiopian PM about Tigray conflict
Biden President Joe Biden walks to the Oval Office of the White House after stepping off Marine One, Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden expressed concerns on Monday in a phone call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about detentions and civilian killings in the conflict in the Tigray region, while commending Abiy for the recent release of several political prisoners. The White House said that Biden raised to Abiy recent airstrikes that continue to cause civilian casualties and suffering in Africa's second most populous nation. The conflict entered a new phase in late December when when Tigray forces retreated into their region amid a Tigray military offensive and Ethiopian forces said they would not advance further there. Biden announced in November he was moving to cut Ethiopia from a U.S. trade program over its failure to end the conflict in the Tigray region that has led to “gross violations” of human rights.
wftv.comBiden raises concerns to Ethiopian PM about Tigray conflict
President Joe Biden expressed concerns on Monday to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about detentions and civilian killings in the conflict in the country's Tigray region, while commending Abiy for the recent release of several political prisoners.
Biden raises concerns to Ethiopian PM about Tigray conflict
President Joe Biden expressed concerns on Monday in a phone call with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about detentions and civilian killings in the conflict in the Tigray region, while commending Abiy for the recent release of several political prisoners. The White House said that Biden raised to Abiy recent airstrikes that continue to cause civilian casualties and suffering in Africa's second most populous nation. The statement added that the leaders “discussed ways to accelerate dialogue toward a negotiated ceasefire, the urgency of improving humanitarian access across Ethiopia, and the need to address the human rights concerns of all affected Ethiopians, including concerns about detentions of Ethiopians under the state of emergency.”
news.yahoo.comEthiopia grants amnesty to high-profile political detainees
Ethiopia Political Detainees FILE - Opposition politician Jawar Mohammed speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at his house in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Oct. 24, 2019. Ethiopia's government on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022 announced an amnesty for some of the country's most high-profile political detainees, including opposition figure Jawar Mohammed and senior Tigray party officials, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke of reconciliation for Orthodox Christmas. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File) (Mulugeta Ayene)NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopia’s government on Friday announced an amnesty for some of the country’s most high-profile political detainees, including opposition figure Jawar Mohammed and senior Tigray party officials, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke of reconciliation for Orthodox Christmas. “The key to lasting unity is dialogue,” the government said in a statement on the amnesty. They were arrested in late 2020 when government forces captured most of the Tigray region shortly after war erupted between Tigray forces and Ethiopian ones.
wftv.comEthiopia grants amnesty to high-profile political detainees
Ethiopia’s government has announced an amnesty for some of the country’s most high-profile political detainees, including opposition figure Jawar Mohammed and senior Tigray party officials, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke of reconciliation for Orthodox Christmas.
Ethiopia grants amnesty to high-profile political detainees
Ethiopia’s government on Friday announced an amnesty for some of the country’s most high-profile political detainees, including opposition figure Jawar Mohammed and senior Tigray party officials, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spoke of reconciliation for Orthodox Christmas. “The key to lasting unity is dialogue,” the government said in a statement on the amnesty. “Ethiopia will make any sacrifices to this end.”
news.yahoo.comEthiopia passes law to start national dialogue commission
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopian lawmakers have approved a bill to establish a commission for national dialogue, amid international pressure for negotiations to end the 13-month conflict in the Tigray region. “The commission’s establishment will pave the way for national consensus and keep the integrity of the country,” the bill states. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government has promised to create such a commission to establish a common ground on contentious issues. Some government officials have said specifically that the new commission will not be engaging in talks with the Tigray organization. “With this as a background, it’s safe to say that the National Dialogue Commission is just an extension of the government’s inadequate attempt at scratching the thick surface in Ethiopia’s otherwise multi-layered and complex political crisis,” she said.
wftv.com2021 Notebook: The war in Ethiopia is 2021's hidden conflict
YE Reporter's Notebook Ethiopia FILE - An Ethiopian woman argues with others over the allocation of yellow split peas distributed by the Relief Society of Tigray in the town of Agula, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, on May 8, 2021. The Tigray forces say they are fighting to lift the blockade on their people, but they also want Abiy out. Much of the fighting has been in the northern Tigray region, which has been sealed off. How many women and girls have been raped by Ethiopian forces and their allies, or by Tigray fighters? Meanwhile, the Tigray forces said they were not killing civilians.
wftv.com'I cannot escape': New abuses alleged in Ethiopia's Tigray
New witness accounts allege that thousands of ethnic Tigrayans have been forcibly expelled, detained or killed in one of the most inaccessible areas of Ethiopia’s yearlong war in the latest wave of abuses carried out with machetes, guns and knives.
Austria's ex-chancellor Kurz announces departure from politics
Austria's former chancellor Sebastian Kurz announces he is leaving politics after a decade. The former leader said he will be leaving in order to spend more time with his young child and his wife but teased "new professional projects in the new year", just weeks after he stepped down after being implicated in a corruption scandal.
news.yahoo.comEthiopia to US: Stop spreading 'false information' about war
Ethiopia Tigray Crisis Ethiopians protest against the United States outside the U.S. embassy in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021. Ethiopia's government on Thursday warned the United States against "spreading false information" as fighting in the country's yearlong war draws closer to the capital, while thousands protested outside the U.S. and British embassies. (AP Photo) (Uncredited)NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopia’s government on Thursday warned the United States against “spreading false information” as fighting in the country’s yearlong war draws closer to the capital, Addis Ababa, while thousands protested outside the U.S. and British embassies. The Tigray forces say they are pressuring Abiy’s government to lift the blockade but also want the prime minister to step aside. Ethiopia’s government earlier this year designated the Tigray forces as a terrorist group, further complicating mediation efforts by the U.S. and African Union for a cease-fire.
wftv.comEthiopian leader called war 'epitome of hell.' Now he's back
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is already a veteran at surprising the world in just three years in power. Abiy’s rule has been short in the vast sweep of Ethiopian history, but he has spent almost all his life preparing for it. Told as a child by his mother that she believed he would lead Ethiopia, he now speaks of martyrdom, if needed, to hold the nation together.
news.yahoo.comEthiopia says PM, a Nobel Peace laureate, is at battlefront
Ethiopia Tigray Crisis FILE - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks behind bulletproof glass at his inauguration ceremony, after he was sworn in for a second five-year term, in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. Ethiopia's prime minister says he will lead his country's army "from the battlefront" beginning Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, a dramatic new step by the Nobel Peace Prize-winner in a devastating yearlong war. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File) (Mulugeta Ayene)NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopia's Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister has gone to the battlefront to take charge in a yearlong war as rival fighters approach the capital, his government announced Wednesday. The Tigray forces, who had long dominated the national government before Abiy came to power, appear to have the momentum. Abiy’s government wants the Tigray forces, which it has designated as a terrorist group, to withdraw to their region as part of their conditions.
wftv.comEthiopia says Abiy at war front, handing duties to deputy
Ethiopia Tigray Crisis FILE - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks behind bulletproof glass at his inauguration ceremony, after he was sworn in for a second five-year term, in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Oct. 4, 2021. Ethiopia's prime minister says he will lead his country's army "from the battlefront" beginning Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, a dramatic new step by the Nobel Peace Prize-winner in a devastating yearlong war. Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen is handling day-to-day government activities, Legesse said. The Tigray forces dominated the previous national government for 27 years before Abiy took office in 2018, and a growing political rift turned to war in November 2020. Abiy's government wants the Tigray forces, which it has designated as a terrorist group, to withdraw to their region.
wftv.comUS: 'Nascent' progress in Ethiopia talks could be outpaced
United States envoy Jeffrey Feltman said Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021 that he sees "massive progress" in talks with Ethiopia's warring sides, but he fears it will be outpaced by "alarming" military developments in the yearlong war in Africa's second-most populous country. (AP Photo, File) (Uncredited)NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — A United States envoy said Tuesday he sees “nascent progress” in talks with Ethiopia’s warring sides toward a cease-fire, but he fears it will be outpaced by “alarming” military developments in the yearlong war in Africa's second-most populous country. Jeffrey Feltman spoke to reporters after his latest visit to Ethiopia, where rival Tigray forces continue pushing toward the capital, Addis Ababa, and a growing number of countries tell their citizens to leave immediately. The Tigray forces long dominated the national government before Abiy took office in 2018, known for economic development but political repression. ___This version corrects to say the U.S. envoy spoke of “nascent” progress, not “massive.”Copyright 2021 The Associated Press.
wftv.comUS: 'Massive' progress in Ethiopia talks could be outpaced
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — A United States envoy says he sees “massive progress” in talks with Ethiopia’s warring sides, but he fears it will be outpaced by “alarming” military developments in the yearlong war in Africa's second-most populous country. Jeffrey Feltman spoke to reporters Tuesday after his latest visit to Ethiopia, where rival Tigray forces continue pushing toward the capital, Addis Ababa, and a growing number of countries tell their citizens to leave immediately. The U.S. envoy said the Tigray forces must halt their advance on the capital and warned that their demands might increase as they get closer. The Tigray forces long dominated the national government before Abiy took office in 2018. Feltman said Ethiopia’s prime minister told him he’s confident he can push the Tigray forces back to their home region in the north of the country.
wftv.comUS: 'Nascent' progress in Ethiopia talks could be outpaced
A United States envoy says he sees “nascent progress” in talks with Ethiopia’s warring sides toward a cease-fire, but he fears it will be outpaced by “alarming” military developments in the yearlong war in Africa’s second-most populous country.
Ethiopia PM says he will lead army 'from the battlefront'
Ethiopia's prime minister says he will lead his country's army "from the battlefront" beginning Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, a dramatic new step by the Nobel Peace Prize-winner in a devastating yearlong war. (AP Photo/File) (Uncredited)NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopia's Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister says he will lead his country's army "from the battlefront" beginning Tuesday, a dramatic new step in a devastating yearlong war. “This is a time when leading a country with martyrdom is needed,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement posted on social media Monday night. With rival Tigray forces moving closer to the capital of Addis Ababa, his government declared a state of emergency earlier this month. “Let’s meet at the battlefront,” the 45-year-old prime minister said.
wftv.comEthiopia PM says he will lead army 'from the battlefront'
Ethiopia’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister says he will lead his country’s army “from the battlefront” beginning Tuesday, a dramatic new step in a devastating yearlong war. “This is a time when leading a country with martyrdom is needed,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement posted on social media Monday night. With rival Tigray forces moving closer to the capital of Addis Ababa, his government declared a state of emergency earlier this month.
news.yahoo.com'You can't even cry loudly': Counting Ethiopia's war dead
Tigrayans, a minority of some 6 million, were encircled as a falling-out with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner, turned deadly. It became an ethnic clash when Amhara fighters from a neighboring region allied with Ethiopia’s government poured in. Almost all communication with Tigray has been cut off, and foreign media is banned.
news.yahoo.comPeople fleeing Ethiopia allege attacks, forced conscription
The war has killed thousands after political tensions with the Tigray forces who once dominated the national government turned deadly. Those fleeing the western Tigray communities of Adebay and Humera in the past week described warnings from Amhara authorities against supporting the Tigray forces. “There are people working for (the Tigray forces). Then Amhara authorities, along with Eritrean soldiers, started visiting homes at night to take people away. Ethiopian authorities have said they are detaining people suspected of supporting the Tigray forces.
wftv.comPeople fleeing Ethiopia allege attacks, forced conscription
People fleeing Ethiopia say a new round of deadly attacks and forced conscription has begun against ethnic Tigrayans who remain in an area now controlled by Amhara regional authorities in collaboration with soldiers from neighboring Eritrea.
People fleeing Ethiopia allege attacks, forced conscription
A new round of deadly attacks and forced conscription has begun against ethnic Tigrayans in an area of Ethiopia now controlled by Amhara regional authorities in collaboration with soldiers from neighboring Eritrea, people fleeing over the border to Sudan tell The Associated Press as the yearlong war intensifies. Three men who fled the western Tigray communities of Adebay and Humera in the past week described warnings from Amhara authorities against supporting the rival Tigray forces who are approaching Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, to press Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to step aside.
news.yahoo.comUS orders some employees to leave Ethiopia as war escalates
NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — The United States is ordering non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Ethiopia and urging other U.S. citizens that they should “depart now” as the country’s war escalates and fighters approach the capital of Addis Ababa. Ethiopia’s government this week declared a national state of emergency as rival Tigray forces and allied fighters seized key cities and moved toward Addis Ababa. On Friday, the Tigray forces who long dominated the national government before a falling-out with the current government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, signed an alliance with eight other armed and opposition groups. They said they are seeking a political transition but left open the possibility of using force to make Abiy go. The U.S. warning also comes a day after the U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa met with Ethiopia's prime minister amid growing calls for an immediate cease-fire and talks.
wftv.comEye Opener: New vaccine rules for big companies
The Labor Department announces a new vaccination rule requiring companies with 100 or more employees to get their workers fully vaccinated or face weekly testing. Also, the House could finally vote today on President Biden’s agenda. All that and all that matters in today’s Eye Opener.
news.yahoo.comTigray, other groups form alliance against Ethiopian leader
Ethiopia Tigray Crisis A man stands outside a mobile phone accessory shop in the Piazza old town area of the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. (AP Photo) (Uncredited)NAIROBI, Kenya — (AP) — Ethiopia's Tigray forces are joining with other armed and opposition groups in an alliance against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to seek a political transition after a year of devastating war, organizers say. The signing in Washington on Friday includes the Tigray forces that have been fighting Ethiopian and allied forces, as well as the Oromo Liberation Army now fighting alongside the Tigray forces and seven other groups from around the country. The U.S. said he met with the deputy prime minister and defense and finance ministers on Thursday. The spokeswoman said she had no further comment Friday, and had no information on whether the prime minister would be meeting with the U.S. special envoy.
wftv.comEthiopia's PM defiant as rival Tigray forces make advances
Ethiopia’s prime minister has called on citizens to redouble their efforts to combat the rival Tigray forces who claim to have seized key cities on a major highway leading to the capital A move on the capital of Addis Ababa is a new phase in the war that has killed thousands of people since fighting broke out a year ago between Ethiopian and allied forces and Tigray ones who had long dominated the national government.