Latest news with #PretoriaAgreement
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tigray party says ban threatens Ethiopia peace deal
Ethiopia's main opposition party has called for the African Union to mediate with the federal government after the electoral board revoked its legal status as a party. The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) said the move to ban it from any political activity was "dangerous" and posed a "serious threat" to the 2022 deal that ended two years of conflict in the northern Tigray region. The party, which governs Tigray and dominated the entire country for many years, was on Wednesday banned for failing to hold a general assembly. The decision follows months of political tensions in Tigray and comes ahead of nationwide elections that are due to take place by June next year at the latest. The party led a coalition that staged a 1991 coup and ruled Ethiopia until 2018 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power. It fought a brutal two-year civil war against the federal government that ended with a truce signed in November 2022 after tens of thousands of people were killed and millions forced from their homes in northern Ethiopia. 'No-one can handle another war' - Tigrayans fear fresh Ethiopian conflict The party runs Tigray's interim administration which was established in 2023 as part of the peace deal, known as the Pretoria peace agreement. But the party has been unable to conduct internal elections because of a split, with two factions laying claim to control of the party. The National Election Board of Ethiopia, which supervises the conduct of political parties, on Wednesday "resolved to formally deregister" the TPLF on the grounds that it had failed to hold a general assembly. But the party has protested against the move and called on the African Union to put "pressure" on the federal government to suspend the enforcement of the ban. In a letter to the AU, the party said the ban "denies the TPLF a right it had reclaimed through the Pretoria Agreement and poses a serious threat to the foundation of the peace process". It added that the peace deal stipulated that both parties recognise each other's legitimacy and any political issue should be resolved through dialogue. TPLF deputy chairman Ammanuel Assefa told the BBC that the decision by the electoral board could "damage the Pretoria agreement" which "is going to be dangerous". "This isn't just about TPLF, but also about undermining what people have sacrificed," Ammanuel added. Delays in implementing the terms of the agreement, including the return of some one million people displaced by the war, have fuelled fears of fresh violence in Tigray. Several countries including the US, UK and the European Union have warned about the escalating tension, saying there must be "no return to violence". 'I lost my leg on the way home from school' How war has hurt Ethiopia's Olympic hopes How a massacre in the sacred city of Aksum unfolded Why Ethiopia is so alarmed by an Egypt-Somalia alliance Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
TPLF says Ethiopia ban threatens Tigray peace deal
Ethiopia's main opposition party has called for the African Union to mediate with the federal government after the electoral board revoked its legal status as a Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) said the move to ban it from any political activity was "dangerous" and posed a "serious threat" to the 2022 deal that ended two years of conflict in the northern Tigray party, which Tigray and dominated the entire country for many years, was on Wednesday banned for failing to hold a general decision follows months of political tensions in Tigray and comes ahead of nationwide elections that are due to take place by June next year at the latest. The party led a coalition that staged a 1991 coup and ruled Ethiopia until 2018 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power. It fought a brutal two-year civil war against the federal government that ended with a truce signed in November 2022 after tens of thousands of people were killed and millions forced from their homes in northern Ethiopia.'No-one can handle another war' - Tigrayans fear fresh Ethiopian conflictThe party runs Tigray's interim administration which was established in 2023 as part of the peace deal, known as the Pretoria peace agreement. But the party has been unable to conduct internal elections because of a split, with two factions laying claim to control of the National Election Board of Ethiopia, which supervises the conduct of political parties, on Wednesday "resolved to formally deregister" the TPLF on the grounds that it had failed to hold a general the party has protested against the move and called on the African Union to put "pressure" on the federal government to suspend the enforcement of the a letter to the AU, the party said the ban "denies the TPLF a right it had reclaimed through the Pretoria Agreement and poses a serious threat to the foundation of the peace process".It added that the peace deal stipulated that both parties recognise each other's legitimacy and any political issue should be resolved through deputy chairman Ammanuel Assefa told the BBC that the decision by the electoral board could "damage the Pretoria agreement" which "is going to be dangerous". "This isn't just about TPLF, but also about undermining what people have sacrificed," Ammanuel added. Delays in implementing the terms of the agreement, including the return of some one million people displaced by the war, have fuelled fears of fresh violence in Tigray. Several countries including the US, UK and the European Union have warned about the escalating tension, saying there must be "no return to violence". More on Ethiopia's civil war: 'I lost my leg on the way home from school'How war has hurt Ethiopia's Olympic hopesHow a massacre in the sacred city of Aksum unfoldedWhy Ethiopia is so alarmed by an Egypt-Somalia alliance Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Zawya
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Eritrea: Minister Osman Saleh gave briefing to Diplomatic community
Foreign Minister Osman Saleh gave a briefing yesterday morning, at the Foreign Ministry HQ in Asmara, to Resident Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Heads of UN Agencies accredited to the country, on false accusations regarding: i) Eritrea's presumptive preparations for war against Ethiopia; ii) the Pretoria Agreement; and, iii) Ethiopia's obsession for an outlet to the sea and subsequent diplomatic campaigns and attendant sabre-rattling. In his extensive briefing, FM Osman underlined: * The EDF has been redeployed to Eritrea's internationally recognized borders right after the end of the conflict in November 2022. 'Anyone that claims or suggests that the Eritrean Defense Forces are still in Ethiopian territory is doing so to scapegoat Eritrea for Ethiopia's internal problems'. * These accusations are peddled by former TPLF members who had rejected from the outset, and continue to reject, the final and binding Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) decision, and who had worked for regime change in Eritrea 'to no avail'. * The Government of Eritrea views the Pretoria Agreement as an internal affair of Ethiopia and has no desire to intervene in that process. *The Government of Eritrea has no role whatsoever in the ongoing internal conflict between the Interim Tigray Administration and the TPLF; it categorically rejects any accusations or allegations that insinuate otherwise. * Eritrea is perplexed by Ethiopia's misguided and outdated ambitions for maritime access and naval base 'through diplomacy or military force'. In this respect, Eritrea urges the international community and its relevant bodies to put pressure on Ethiopia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
Arab News
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Why is Ethiopia's Tigray again on the brink of conflict?
ADDIS ABABA: More than two years after a peace deal ended the devastating war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, a power struggle within the once-dominant TPLF party has sparked fears of renewed conflict. Could these rising tensions lead to violence so soon after one of the century's deadliest conflicts that killed an estimated 600,000 people? The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) ran the whole of Ethiopia for nearly three decades until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a non-Tigrayan, took power in 2018. His takeover led to months of tension with the TPLF leadership, eventually leading Abiy to send troops to Tigray in November 2020, accusing their forces of attacking federal army camps. This triggered two years of horrific war between Tigrayan rebels and government forces backed by militias and Eritrean troops. It finally ended with a November 2022 peace treaty, known as the Pretoria Agreement. A new interim administration was created in Tigray with TPLF veteran Getachew Reda in charge, though overseen by the federal government. But divisions have emerged in recent months between Getachew and the TPLF's leader, Debretsion Gebremichael. Getachew faces criticism over delays in implementing the peace deal — particularly the failure to expel Eritrean forces who supported the federal government against the Tigrayans, and return the million people displaced by the war. The Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) had previously stayed neutral in the Getachew-Debretsion dispute. But in January, a dissident group within the TDF accused Getachew's administration of undermining 'the Tigrayan people's national interest and engaging in treason.' One foreign expert, who did not want to be named, estimated around 200 commanders supported the letter. Getachew described it as declaring 'a coup d'etat.' In early March, he attempted to suspend three TDF generals and accused Debretsion's faction of trying to 'take over the whole of Tigray.' This week, Debretsion's forces took control of the municipalities in state capital Mekele and second city Adigrat, putting their own mayors in place. Many residents, already deeply weary of war, are panicking over the threat of renewed conflict with reports of bank runs and sold-out flights. Getachew has asked for assistance from the federal government in Addis Ababa, though he said this should not be military in nature. The federal government has not responded publicly. There is concern in Addis Ababa that Eritrea, its historic rival that gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, will exploit the unrest. Eritrea's rhetoric has been increasingly bellicose. Last month, its information minister accused Ethiopia of 'waging an intense and unacceptable campaign against Eritrea' and committing 'malicious provocations.' A security source told AFP on condition of anonymity that armed Ethiopian convoys were heading toward the region of Afar, which borders Eritrea, in recent days. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki's dissatisfaction with the 2022 peace agreement, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's ambitions for a Red Sea port and geopolitical interest from the Middle East have fueled the deteriorating tensions, said Kjetil Tronvoll, Oslo University professor specializing in the region. That has left the 'two countries inching closer to a new war,' he said.
The Hill
13-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Ethiopia's Tigray regional government appeals for help after factional fighters seize key towns
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — The interim government of Ethiopia's Tigray region appealed for the Ethiopian federal government to intervene after a faction of the Tigray People's Liberation Front seized control of two major towns, leaving several people wounded and raising fears of a return to civil war. On Tuesday the TPLF faction seized Adigrat, the second-biggest town in Tigray, and appointed a new administrator, ousting the office-holder loyal to the interim government. On Wednesday night, it took control of Adi-Gudem, a town near the regional capital, Mekele. Several people in Adi-Gudem were injured when forces attempted to occupy a government building. The TPLF fought a brutal two-year war against federal forces which ended in November 2022 with the signing of a peace agreement and the formation of a TPLF-led interim government. Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been killed in the fighting which began in November 2020, with millions displaced and many left near famine in Africa's second-most populous country. However, since the war ended, the TPLF has splintered. In October, its leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, expelled the head of the interim government, Getachew Reda, from the party along with four members of his cabinet. In retaliation, Reda, who was the chief negotiator of the peace agreement, temporarily suspended four senior military commanders who he believed were aligned with Gebremichael's faction. 'The region may be on the brink of another crisis,' read a statement Wednesday from the Tigray Communication Affairs Bureau, which is part of the interim government. Reda has described the TPLF's recent actions as a 'potential coup attempt.' In a televised interview, he emphasized the need for the international community — one of the key guarantors of the Pretoria Peace Agreement — to closely monitor the escalating situation in the war-torn region. 'The parties to the Pretoria Agreement should really take into account the deteriorating situation in Tigray and the far-reaching ramifications of the unraveling of the Pretoria agreements,' he said. TPLF deputy chairman Amanuel Assefa told The Associated Press that the current crises have nothing to do with the Pretoria agreement but are largely related to law enforcement. 'The TPLF and the Tigray forces are the rightful owners of the Pretoria Agreement. Therefore there is no reason to engage in any actions that would violate that', he said.
