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Ethiopia’s upper house of parliament voted on Saturday to establish a transitional administration in the Tigray region.

The vote by the House of Federation paves the way for the removal of the Tigray region’s leadership and allows the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to directly intervene in the region’s affairs.

“Ethiopia’s quest to have a successful transition towards constitutional democracy requires adherence to rule of law,” Abiy tweeted.

“Our operation aims to end the impunity that has prevailed for far too long and hold accountable individuals and groups under the laws of the land,” he said.

The move follows the Ethiopian army regaining full control of Dansha, one of the flashpoint areas at the beginning of the conflict. On Friday, Abiy said the army had successfully repulsed a rebel political party's efforts at an uprising.

The Tigray region, which borders Eritrea, and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) dominated Ethiopian politics until Abiy took office in 2018.

The party and its people say they do not feel the federal government represents them. The TPLF held local elections in defiance of the federal government in September.