The Ethiopian government is closely monitoring the situation in Tigray, a northern region of the country where tensions between factions of the ruling party risk sparking a new confrontation, stated Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos.
Tigray was the scene of a devastating conflict between November 2020 and November 2022, pitting Ethiopian federal forces, supported by local militias and the Eritrean army, against Tigray rebel fighters. The conflict claimed at least 600,000 lives in a region with a population of about six million, according to the African Union. Hostilities ceased after a peace agreement was signed in Pretoria, South Africa.
However, delays in the implementation of the agreement have reignited internal tensions within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the once-dominant party in Ethiopia that now governs the region. A senior party official, Getachew Reda, who heads an interim administration imposed by federal authorities, is at odds with Debretsion Gebremichael, the main leader of the TPLF.
Minister Gedion Timothewos stated on Friday that the Ethiopian government is « closely following the situation » and assured that everything would be done to ensure respect for the Pretoria peace agreement, the ceasefire, and to maintain peace in northern Ethiopia.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) expressed concerns over the growing tensions, warning that they could « compromise the relative peace » achieved after the agreement. The EHRC also mentioned « concerns over human rights violations » and called on all parties to « refrain from any actions that might exacerbate the crisis ».
On Tuesday, armed men loyal to Mr. Debretsion seized control of Adigrat, the second-largest city in Tigray, located near the border with Eritrea. On Thursday, the same faction ousted an interim-appointed mayor and took control of the regional capital, Mekele.
The situation also raises concerns regarding Eritrea, Ethiopia’s neighboring country with which relations have been strained. Between 1998 and 2000, the two countries fought a war over territorial disputes, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties.
In 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize after signing an agreement with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, which briefly allowed for the reopening of the border. However, relations have since deteriorated following the Tigray war. Abiy Ahmed’s ambitions for access to the sea, given Ethiopia’s status as a landlocked country, have further escalated tensions with Eritrea, which accuses Ethiopia of eyeing the Eritrean port of Assab.