Ethiopia: Abiy Ahmed sworn in for a second five-year term, Tigray at war again

Abiy Ahmed took the oath of office on October 5, 2026, in Addis Ababa for a second five-year term as head of the Ethiopian federal government, after being unanimously reappointed by the lower house of Parliament, according to Africa Radio. The session marked the opening of the first year of work for the seventh legislature, reports the official Ethiopian News Agency. The head of government was the only candidate in the running: his Prosperity Party controls approximately 90% of the seats.

A Parliament without real checks and balances

The general election on June 1, 2026, gave the Prosperity Party 438 of the 486 seats actually filled, far ahead of EZEMA (13 seats) and the National Movement of Amhara (6 seats), with eight independents completing the Assembly. Voter turnout was announced at 95.7% for more than 54 million registered voters. However, 61 of the 547 seats in the House remained vacant due to security issues, including 38 for Tigray alone, where the vote could not be held; at least 143 polling stations were disrupted. Opposition organizations had denounced the stifling of dissent before the vote.

"Coming out of the forests" and the Red Sea

Before the deputies, Abiy Ahmed called on armed groups to leave "the forests" to join "peace mechanisms," and advocated moving forward "hand in hand," asserting that Ethiopia "has no losing children, only winners." He reaffirmed that access to the Red Sea is vital for a country of 130 million inhabitants, promising to obtain it "through peaceful means."

This call for dialogue comes at the very moment when war is resuming in the north. Federal forces have taken control of Mekele following the withdrawal of fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF); airstrikes and artillery fire have killed at least 17 people there, according to humanitarian sources cited by Africa Radio. Addis Ababa accuses Eritrea, Sudan, and Egypt of supporting the rebels, which these three countries deny; diplomatic relations with Asmara have been severed.

A continental heavyweight under surveillance

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission congratulated Abiy Ahmed, recalling Ethiopia's role as the host country for the pan-African organization's headquarters, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa traveled for the occasion, indicates the Kenyan daily People Daily. For the second most populous country in Africa, the question is not the strength of a parliamentary majority, but the ability of a government without opposition to keep its promises of peace to its own citizens, starting with those who were unable to vote.