PM Abiy: The Defunct TPLF Is Utterly Alien to the Identity of the People of Tigray Region
Addis Ababa, October 19, 2026 (FMC) — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has declared that the illegal TPLF has nothing in common with the identity and dignity of the people of Tigray Region, stressing that no political organization can claim ownership of a people whose history stretches back thousands of years.
In a Tigrigna-language interview broadcast across Fana Media Corporation (FMC) platforms, Abiy said the TPLF’s ideology, policies, beliefs and political conduct are fundamentally incompatible with the dignity of the people of Tigray Region, despite the organization’s origins in the region and the fact that most of its members come from the area.
The Prime Minister drew a clear distinction between the survival of a people and the fate of a political organization, describing it as baseless and dangerous to tie the existence and security of a population to the continued existence of a single party.
The people of Tigray Region have lived for thousands of years, long before the TPLF emerged nearly five decades ago, and will continue to exist for thousands of years to come, he stressed. The organization, by contrast, is already fading into history.
“Leaders and political organizations rise and fall, and governments change, but the people and the country continue,” Abiy said, underscoring the enduring place of the people of Tigray Region in Ethiopia’s national life.
He recalled that leadership of Ethiopia by figures who originated from Tigray Region was not unprecedented, citing Emperor Yohannes as an example. Such historical experience, he said, demonstrates that the people of the region have a place in the broader history and leadership of Ethiopia that extends far beyond the lifespan of any political organization.
Abiy further emphasized that the TPLF’s presence in Tigray Region and the participation of people from the region in its ranks do not make its ideology representative of their identity. Its chosen outlook and political course, he said, have failed to reflect the dignity and interests of the people.
The people of Tigray Region have paid an immense price because of the TPLF, the Prime Minister said, adding that this reality is becoming increasingly clear. Yet the suffering inflicted on the population will not determine its future or erase its enduring place in the country.
He expressed confidence that the people of Tigray Region would continue to stand on their own, preserve their identity and strengthen their contribution to building Ethiopia.
The Prime Minister’s message placed the future of the region beyond the political fortunes of the TPLF, emphasizing that the people of Tigray Region—not any single organization—will carry their history forward and continue to take part in the country’s development.