Getachew Reda

Getachew Reda
ጌታቸው ረዳ
Getachew Reda in September 2023
Chief Administrator of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray
Assumed office
23 March 2023
Preceded byDebretsion Gebremichael
Abraham Belay
Spokesperson for the Tigray People's Liberation Front
Assumed office
2020
Minister of Communication Affairs
In office
2012 – 1 November 2016
PresidentHailemariam Desalegn
Preceded byBereket Simon
Succeeded byNegeri Lencho
Personal details
BornJune 1974 (age 50)
Alamata, Wollo Province, Ethiopian Empire[1]
(present-day Alamata, Tigray Region, Ethiopia)
Political partyTigray People's Liberation Front
EducationLLB, Master of Law
Alma materAddis Ababa University Alabama University
Nickname(s)Made them frighten (ኣርዓዶም), Son of Reda (ወዲ ረዳ)
Military service
Allegiance Tigray
Branch/serviceTigray Defense Forces
Battles/warsTigray War

Getachew Reda Kahsay (Tigrinya and Amharic: ጌታቸው ረዳ ካሕሳይ; born June 1974) is an Ethiopian politician who is the Chief Administrator of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray since the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia announced his appointment on 23 March 2023.[2] Before assuming power as chief administrator, he was a longtime advisor to the former president of the Tigray Region, Debretsion Gebremichael.[3][4]

Getachew is also an executive committee member and the spokesperson for the Tigray People's Liberation Front.[5][6]

Getachew was the Minister of Government Communications Affairs in Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn's federal government of Ethiopia until 2016.[7][8]

Early life and education

Getachew completed his undergraduate studies at Addis Ababa University's School of Law. Between 2001 and 2002, he completed a Master of Law at Alabama University, Tuscaloosa, United States. Before taking a government position in 2009, he served as a professor of law at Mekelle University, located in the capital city of Tigray Region.

Tigray War

Getachew worked as the political advisor of the President of the Tigray Region, Debretsion Gebremichael, in supporting the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) in their war with the federal government of Ethiopia, Amhara Special Forces, Fano militia and the foreign government of Eritrea. Getachew, in an interview with Tigray TV, urged young people and others in the region to "rise and deploy to battle in tens of thousands."[9] In April 2021, Getachew's Twitter account was verified.

On 28 June 2021, Getachew announced that the TDF had captured Mekelle, causing the ENDF soldiers to retreat entirely from the area. The Ethiopian federal government declared a unilateral ceasefire starting from 28 June 2021 until the farming season ends.[10] On 20 December 2021, Getachew announced that the TDF had withdrawn from both Amhara and Afar regions in an attempt to induce the international community to put pressure on the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments and to facilitate the distribution of humanitarian aid in the two conflict regions.[11] However Billene Seyoum, the spokesman for Abiy Ahmed, disputed this claim and asserted that the announcement was a cover-up for military setbacks.[12]

On 2 November 2022, Getachew was the Tigray representative present for the signing of the agreement to permanently cease hostilities with the Ethiopian central government.[13] On 23 March 2023, Getachew's appointment as head of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray was announced.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Getachew Reda Biography. His Involvement in Tigray War". typicalethiopian.com. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-05.
  2. ^ PM Abiy "appoints" Getachew Reda head of Tirgay Interim Admin, 23 March 2023, retrieved March 25, 2023
  3. ^ "Getachew Reda . . ". Addis Fortune. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  4. ^ "Ethiopia says it captured Tigrayan town of Adigrat". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  5. ^ "Ethiopia tells Tigrayans to 'save themselves' ahead of assault on capital". Financial Times. 22 November 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  6. ^ 陈蓓. "Rockets from Ethiopia hit Eritrea's capital". China Daily. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  7. ^ "Ethiopia says will not escalate border clash with Eritrea". Gulf Times. 14 June 2016. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  8. ^ "News: Battered by persistent public protests, Ethiopia forms new government". Addis Standard. 1 November 2016. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  9. ^ "Thousands killed in Ethiopia's conflict, Tigray side asserts". AP NEWS. 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  10. ^ "Tigray's former rulers back in Mekelle, Ethiopian government declares ceasefire". Reuters. 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  11. ^ "Tigray forces withdraw from neighbouring Ethiopian regions -spokesman". Reuters. 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  12. ^ "Tigrayan forces announce retreat to Ethiopia's Tigray region". Al Jazeera. 2021-12-20. Archived from the original on 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  13. ^ "Ethiopian civil war: parties agree on end to hostilities". the Guardian. November 2, 2022.
  14. ^ "PM Abiy 'appoints' Getachew Reda head of Tigray Interim Admin". Addis Standard. 23 March 2023. Wikidata Q117283066. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023.