For much of Tigray’s modern political history, it has been governed by the TPLF, which first emerged as an armed movement in the 1970s fighting Ethiopia’s military government.

It became a major force in the overthrow of the Marxist regime in 1991 and went on to become the most powerful component of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the coalition that governed the ethnically diverse country for nearly three decades.

At times this proved contentious as some felt the TPLF held too much sway as Tigrayans only make up around 6% of Ethiopia’s population.

When Abiy Ahmed became prime minister in 2018, he replaced the EPRDF with the Prosperity Party, significantly watering down the TPLF’s influence.

Relations between Addis Ababa and the TPLF rapidly deteriorated until war erupted in 2020 in what was one of the most deadly conflicts this century.

The AU mediator estimated some 600,000 people died during the war, which totally cut off Tigray from the outside world and drove the region to the precipice of famine.

An uneasy truce was agreed in November 2022.