TPLF: A Pariah Faction Foisted upon the Tigray People

Addis Ababa, July 18, 2026 (FMC) — The signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement on November 2, 2022, marked a turning point for the people of the Tigray region, opening a new chapter of hope and creating an opportunity to restore peace, pursue reconstruction and embark on a path of development.

Following the agreement, the federal government and the Tigray Interim Regional Administration demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring lasting peace in line with the provisions of the accord, allowing the people of Tigray to look beyond years of conflict and focus on rebuilding their lives and communities.

However, the growing determination of the defunct TPLF faction to pursue destructive activities has continued to create tensions in the region, undermining the efforts of leaders of the interim regional administration who have been working toward peace and reconciliation.

Although the federal government has fulfilled its historic responsibility by disarming, rehabilitating and reintegrating more than 60,000 former combatants into society, the rump TPLF faction continues to pose challenges to the region’s stability through misinformation and activities that threaten peace efforts.

Getachew Reda, former president of the interim regional administration and Ethiopian Prime Minister’s Advisor on East African Affairs, said that the people of Tigray had become hostages of a network of corruption driven by a few individuals seeking power.

The faction, while in power, prioritized personal interests over national development and continues to hinder the region’s progress.

Although the people of Tigray are increasingly expressing their rejection of conflict by saying that “the past is enough,” the defunct TPLF faction continues to carry out attacks and kidnappings targeting young people who have not reached adulthood. These actions have forced many Tigrayan youths to flee their villages and triggered widespread opposition and anger among mothers in the region.

In his recent address to the Ethiopian Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also stated that Tigrayan youths had been forcibly abducted and sent to fight in the civil war in Sudan, losing their lives in a conflict they knew nothing about.

The most concerning issue is the alleged secret relationship between the destructive faction and the regime in Asmara, which is accused of working to weaken Ethiopia’s internal strength while serving interests that do not seek the country’s national interests.

In particular, the relationship with the regime in Asmara poses serious risks in connection with Ethiopia’s efforts to address its maritime access challenge and ensure sustainable development, with concerns that it could bring what has been described as a “Trojan Horse” back into the region.

Following the Pretoria Peace Agreement, the regime in Asmara, which had remained inactive in Tigray, operated under the belief that “Tigray will not be completely destroyed.” Getachew Reda explained in his analysis that the main objective was to organize extremist forces inside Ethiopia and prevent lasting peace in the country.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also warned in parliament that Ethiopia would not give the Eritrean regime an opportunity to harm its people again and that any such attempt would be its final effort.

Attempts to undermine Ethiopia’s sovereignty by exploiting internal forces are unacceptable.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has also emphasized that Ethiopia’s lack of direct access to a seaport represents a historical, legal and economic challenge, stressing that the country, regardless of opposition, will not remain landlocked and will pursue access through peaceful and calm dialogue.

The federal government has confirmed that it has no intention of waging war in the Tigray region and instead continues to call for peaceful dialogue and consultation.

The Medemer state has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to transitional justice and amnesty rather than conflict, emphasizing that the door to peace remains open.

However, the government remains prepared to protect the country if external aggression or internal actors that threaten Ethiopia’s sovereignty attempt to challenge its stability.

The people of Tigray will not find a lasting solution by aligning themselves with forces that fuel destruction, but by embracing peace, supporting development and working toward building a better future for generations to come.