ADDIS ABABA – In a significant move aimed at preserving the fragile 2022 Pretoria Agreement, the Chief Administrator of Tigray’s Interim Regional Administration, Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, announced on February 2, 2026, that Tigrayan forces have withdrawn from the Tselemt area. Described as a 'confidence-building measure,' the withdrawal follows a week of intense clashes between regional forces and federal troops supported by Amhara militias. Despite this de-escalation, Tadesse Werede issued a stern warning to the federal government, rejecting the proposed referendum for Western Tigray and demanding the immediate dismantling of non-Tigrayan administrative structures in what he termed 'historically Tigrayan lands.' The administration maintains that these areas must be returned to Tigrayan control before any permanent political settlement can be reached. International observers from the African Union and the United Nations have praised the withdrawal but remain 'deeply concerned' that the underlying territorial disputes could lead to a broader regional conflict, especially as tensions rise between Ethiopia and Eritrea over border territories.