Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has appointed Getachew Reda, a senior official of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), as head of the interim administration of the Tigray region.

This is part of the implementation of a peace deal signed last year between the federal government and the TPLF bringing to an end a brutal two-year conflict that killed thousands and displaced millions.

The appointment comes a day after the Ethiopian parliament removed the rebel Tigray party from the country’s list of terror groups – another major move in the implementation of the peace agreement.

The parliament had passed a resolution to establish the Tigray regional interim administration which is now to be headed by the new appointee, Getachew Reda.

He will be responsible for leading and coordinating the executive body of the region, with a focus on establishing an inclusive administration that ensures the representation of various political forces operating there.

The war between government forces and Tigray rebels started in 2020. Violence subsided after the two sides signed agreements in South Africa and Kenya last November to ensure peace.

A UN report late last year put the number of displaced people at 2.7 million, with 12.5 million children in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.