Addis Ababa, March 3, 2026 (FMC) — In a recent Tigrigna-language interview, the Prime Minister discussed issues related to the Tigray region and national governance, emphasizing peace, institutional stability, and accountability.
He highlighted the importance of development and transitional justice as foundations for reconciliation and long-term stability.
Excerpts:
The people of Tigray deserve peace and development rather than cycles of conflict.
Youth should safeguard themselves from narratives that urge them toward war using outdated and divisive rhetoric.
The federal government remains strongly committed to peace in Tigray and to preventing the recurrence of conflict.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front remains anchored in ideological frameworks of the past and has resisted adapting to evolving political and national realities.
Factional efforts to revive previous political paths contributed to the outbreak of earlier conflicts.
Elements that resisted change have framed the reform-oriented government as an adversary, spreading unfounded claims that Ethiopia is destined to collapse.
Such narratives have fostered public uncertainty and eroded trust.
The federal government acted swiftly to restore essential services—including banking, electricity, and telecommunications—so that residents of Tigray could resume normal economic and social activity.
Nevertheless, certain entrenched groups continue to minimize or undermine the significance of the Pretoria Peace Agreement.
These actors have not fully adhered to constitutional processes or to decisions issued by the National Election Board of Ethiopia.
A faction within the TPLF has redirected resources intended for development toward preparations for renewed militancy, exacerbating hardship for civilians in the region.
Such actions deepen the suffering of the population and divert resources from reconstruction and economic recovery.
Transitional justice mechanisms are necessary to ensure accountability for violations committed during the conflict in a manner that remains independent of political influence.
Individuals responsible for crimes must be held accountable under the rule of law.
Crimes, killings, and acts of looting reported during the two-year conflict—particularly in areas such as Aksum, Adwa, and Shire—are condemnable and warrant legal redress.
The government opposes any external interference and remains committed to protecting national sovereignty.