The components of the Pretoria administration, commonly known as the Tigray Interim Regional Authority, were gathered together by Tadesse Werede, one of its two Vice President Generals. The gathering discussed the initial findings of an ongoing investigation by the security ‘cluster’ (which he oversees) into the salt, fuel, metals, and aid industries. All attendees agreed that the results draw an accurate if conservative sketch of what has become the defining feature of Tigray’s economic activity; illicit transaction.

The theatre surrounding the formation of an Interim Regional Administration concluded with what was billed as an ‘upset’; the three highest profile members of Tigray’s negotiating team assumed the top three positions of the Interim Regional Administration they signed into existence. The ‘upset’ was ostensibly caused by Secretary Blinken vetoing Abiy Ahmed’s selection of Tsadkan Gebretensae to install Getachew Reda …