The Tigray regional administration has implemented a 20% salary deduction for government employees, sparking widespread outrage as officials simultaneously allege continued forced evictions in disputed territories.
The salary reduction affects all regional government workers, according to The Reporter Ethiopia. Tigray regional officials have defended the measure as necessary amid ongoing economic constraints following the two-year conflict that ended in November 2022.
Tigray administration officials have also accused the federal government of continuing forced evictions in disputed territories, including areas of Western Tigray and Raya. The regional government claims these actions violate provisions of the Pretoria Agreement, the cessation of hostilities deal signed between the federal government and Tigray People's Liberation Front.
The salary deductions come as Tigray faces severe economic hardship in the post-war period. Basic services remain limited across much of the region, with banking services only recently restored in major urban centers. Federal budget transfers to the region have been irregular since the conflict's end.
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Public employees in Mekelle and other Tigray cities have expressed frustration over the salary cuts, which reduce already modest government wages. Many civil servants have not received regular pay throughout the conflict period and its aftermath.
The dual pressures of economic hardship and territorial disputes reflect broader challenges in implementing the Pretoria Agreement. Similar post-conflict salary and territorial issues have historically complicated peace processes in Ethiopia, including during transitions following the 1991 regime change and 2018 political reforms.
