MEKELE – Former Tigray Interim Administration President Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede was reportedly prevented from attending a scheduled meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Ervin Massinga, according to sources cited by Addis Standard.
The sources said Gen. Tadesse, who previously led the Tigray Interim Administration, had arranged a face-to-face meeting with Ambassador Massinga. However, security forces allegedly instructed personnel assigned to protect him not to allow him to leave, effectively blocking his movement.
According to the reports, security officials told his guards: “You have been barred from moving; however, if he wants to go, he can walk on his own two feet.”
Following the cancellation of the in-person meeting, Ambassador Massinga and Lt. Gen. Tadesse reportedly held a telephone conversation instead, according to the same sources.
The reported incident has raised questions about the political environment in Tigray and the level of freedom available to former officials involved in the region’s administration following the devastating conflict between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigray forces.
Tadesse Werede, a senior military figure who played a role in Tigray’s political and security affairs, previously served as president of the Tigray Interim Administration established after the Pretoria peace agreement that ended the two-year war between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The reported attempt to restrict his movement comes amid ongoing challenges in implementing the peace agreement, including disputes over governance, security arrangements, political participation, and the return of displaced communities.
The U.S. Embassy and Ethiopian authorities have not publicly commented on the reported incident at the time of publication.
