Addis Ababa, June 14, 2026 (FMC) – A faction of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which illegally ousted the regional interim administration, is pursuing a course that could plunge northern Ethiopia back into a devastating cycle of conflict, Professor Kindeya Gebrehiwot, former Head of the Cabinet Secretariat of the first Tigray Interim Regional Administration, has warned.
Professor Kindeya urged governments, regional organizations, and development partners to take a firmer stance against those undermining the peace process in Tigray. He stressed, however, that the group attempting to create instability should not be equated with the TPLF as a whole.
“To make the record straight,” he said, “TPLF has been divided into different groups, and there is one criminal group that recently staged a coup against the Interim Regional Administration. This criminal group continues to engage in activities that pose serious concerns and could lead to confrontation.”
He described the situation as deeply alarming, warning that “this group cannot live without such a conflict.”
Professor Kindeya commended the Ethiopian government’s “maximum patience” in safeguarding the peace process and pointed to growing public opposition within Tigray to any return to war.
According to him, the faction has consistently resisted the implementation of the Pretoria Agreement and sought to obstruct successive interim administrations established to facilitate post-war recovery, governance reform, and political normalization in the Tigray region.
He said the group worked against both the administration led by Getachew Reda, the first Interim Chief Administrator, and the subsequent administration headed by Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, despite initially supporting the latter’s appointment.
“The pattern has remained the same,” he said. “Whenever there is an opportunity to advance peace, recovery, and institutional stability, they seek to create obstacles and maintain conditions of confrontation.”
Professor Kindeya stressed that unresolved political, governance, and border-related issues should be resolved through dialogue, constitutional processes, and democratic institutions rather than by military means.
Expressing concern over the faction’s recent activities, he also raised alarm over reports of forced military recruitment in parts of the Tigray region, alleging that young people are being rounded up and sent to training camps against their will.
At the same time, he said efforts to mobilize large numbers of young people voluntarily have largely failed, reflecting widespread public opposition to renewed conflict.
“Many young people are rejecting the prospect of war,” he said. “There is a growing sentiment throughout Tigray that another round of fighting would be catastrophic for the region.”
Recalling the devastating consequences of the two-year conflict in northern Ethiopia, Professor Kindeya emphasized that Tigray remains economically and socially fragile and is in no position to endure another military confrontation.
“Tigray has already paid an enormous price,” he said. “The region should now be focused on rehabilitation, reconstruction, and healing rather than being dragged back into war.”
The professor also expressed concern over what he described as external efforts to destabilize the region, citing attempts to forge alliances involving anti-peace actors both inside and outside Ethiopia.
Referring to the so-called Tsimdo alliance, he said certain actors were promoting arrangements aimed at escalating tensions and undermining Ethiopia’s stability.
Professor Kindeya stressed that all stakeholders committed to regional peace should unequivocally reject any attempts to reignite conflict, as reported by local news agency ENA.
“There must be sustainable peace in the region,” he said. “We should strongly condemn such unholy alliances. Having witnessed the war firsthand, I know the immense suffering that conflict brought to Tigray.”
He further warned that external involvement in local disputes could transform domestic tensions into a broader regional crisis with far-reaching consequences for the Horn of Africa.
Addressing the role of the international community, Professor Kindeya called on governments, regional organizations, and development partners to take a stronger stance against individuals working to undermine the peace process.
“The international community should call a spade a spade,” he said. “Those who are working to re-ignite conflict should be identified and held individually accountable.”
He emphasized that preserving the gains of the Pretoria Agreement requires sustained international vigilance and continued support for peaceful political engagement.
Describing the Pretoria Agreement as a historic opportunity to move beyond conflict, Professor Kindeya said it offers a path toward recovery, development, and reconciliation.
“Ethiopia’s future depends on peace,” he concluded. “This should be a time for reconstruction, development, and national healing—not another round of conflict.”