With agency report
Ethiopia’s parliament has voted to dissolve the government of the northern Tigray region, amid a dispute which has escalated into armed conflict.
In an emergency session, parliament declared the Tigray administration illegal and voted to replace it.
On Friday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said air strikes had been carried out on military targets in Tigray.
There are fears the conflict could lead to civil war, which could also destabilise neighbouring countries.
The leaders of Tigray dominated Ethiopia for many years until Mr Abiy came to power in 2018 on the back of anti-government protests and curbed their influence.
They say they have been unfairly targeted by purges and allegations of corruption, and say Mr Abiy is an illegitimate leader, because his mandate ran out when he postponed elections due to coronavirus.
The UN has called for a “de-escalation in the fighting”.
The House of Federation – one of Ethiopia’s parliamentary chambers – said the Tigray leadership had “violated the constitution and endangered the constitutional system”, according to the state-owned broadcaster EBC.
It said a new caretaker administration would hold elections and “implement decisions passed on by the federal government.”
The simmering row boiled over in September after Tigray’s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), defied the nationwide ban on elections, and held a vote which was declared illegal by the central government.
