Ethiopia's Tigray Party Denounces Ban as Threat to Peace Agreement

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has voiced serious concerns after the Ethiopian electoral agency revoked its legal status, claiming this action poses a "serious threat" to the 2022 peace agreement aimed at stabilizing the Tigray region. Following its exclusion from official political activities, the TPLF has called upon the African Union to mediate, citing the ban as a fundamental violation of the arrangement that ended a devastating civil war, which resulted in a significant humanitarian crisis.

The ban, predicated on the party's failure to convene a general assembly, has sparked fears of rekindled violence as Ethiopia approaches nationwide elections scheduled for next June. The TPLF, historically dominant in Ethiopian politics, led a coalition that overthrew the previous regime in 1991, controlling the country until political shifts in 2018 led to its dissolution. Despite the establishment of an interim administration in early 2023 as part of the peace deal, internal divisions have prevented the TPLF from holding elections.

In a formal protest, TPLF leaders have urged the African Union to intervene, arguing that the ban strips the party of the rights reassured by the Pretoria Agreement. TPLF deputy chairman Ammanuel Assefa highlighted that the electoral board’s decision could jeopardize the fragile peace, which has already delayed the return of nearly one million displaced individuals from the conflict. Both the U.S. and European nations have echoed the necessity of maintaining the peace process, emphasizing that a return to violence would be catastrophic.