A candle-lit parade in Mekele, the capital of Tigray region, took place on the eve of celebrations for the founding of the TPLF, Ethiopia's once-dominant party (AFP Photo/MICHAEL TEWELDE)Mekele (Ethiopia) (AFP) - The political party that dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades staged massive anniversary celebrations Wednesday that highlighted rising tensions with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and neighbouring Eritrea. Last year, the TPLF refused to go along with Abiy's plan to merge the coalition into a single political party, meaning it is now effectively in the opposition. In Tigray, the northernmost of nine regions in a country administratively divided along ethnic lines, the party is firmly in control. Yemane Amha, a 44-year-old former TPLF fighter, told AFP that this year's anniversary came at a "critical time" for the party. Fissehatsion Gebremichael, a civil servant who lives in Mekele, said the TPLF anniversary celebrations were bigger than usual in an apparent form of resistance to what he called the "marginalisation" of Tigrayans.

Source: Ethiopian News February 19, 2020 14:26 UTC