News Survey exposes violent reprisal, killings against illegal mining informants in Tigray
A joint field survey conducted by several opposition political parties in Tigray has revealed widespread reprisals and killings against individuals reporting illegal mining activities in the region.
The Tigray Independence Party (TIP) in collaboration with the National Congress of Great Tigray (Baitona) and Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty (Arena), has uncovered a pattern of reprisal, intimidation, and even killings in the Northwestern, Central, and Southeastern Zones of Tigray.
The survey reports that the unregulated extraction of gold and other minerals has escalated into a dire crisis with severe consequences for local communities as well as its members. It highlights specific cases of violence against three TIP members and local activists opposing illegal mining operations.
“Gebreyohannes Hailu, a TIP member, was killed, while another member, Kibrom Asfha, faced kidnapping and torture,” reads the survey, while it states that another female member of the TPI party experienced beatings, property destruction, and intimidation.
According to the survey, the acts have created “an atmosphere of fear, silencing dissent and preventing communities from resisting illegal mining practices”.
Dejen Mezgebe (PhD), chairman of TIP, confirmed to The Reporter that party members were allegedly killed, kidnapped for unspecified periods, and physically confronted after reporting and demonstrating against illegal mining in areas assigned to them as part of their work.
Dejen noted that his party had written to the Ministry of Justice regarding these incidents.
However, he claimed that no corrective measures have been taken so far.
“We haven’t received anything yet from them,” he said.
According to Dejen, a party-led investigation in Asgede Woreda revealed that local security forces, the Woreda administrative office, the security chief, the district administration’s security officers, and the TPLF party administration office in the Woreda, are responsible for the alleged killings and repression of TIP members.
The survey further reported Illegal gold and mineral mining operations in Tigray involve organized networks of military commanders, TPLF-affiliated entities, and complicit business actors.
The report stated that the exclusion of local communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from mining activities has exacerbated economic hardships and fostered mistrust. Additionally, the use of hazardous chemicals, reportedly banned by law, has resulted in environmental degradation and health risks.
The survey indicates that military personnel and party members are part of the organized network.
Dejen says the sophisticated and organized criminal network is facilitated by three main entities.
“The criminal act operates through high-ranking military commanders in the area, TPLF’s senior officials, and woreda administrators supported by cadres as well as armed forces,” he told The Reporter. “Business entities and wealthy individuals provide the necessary equipment, including heavy trucks, excavators, chemicals, and other inputs, to facilitate illegal mining in Tigray.”
According to him, the connections of these business entities span from Tigray to Addis Ababa.
Dejen noted the involvement of unidentified external forces collaborating with the business entities and TPLF party members.
The survey also emphasized the humanitarian crisis in the region as being “worsened by resource exploitation and the displacement of communities. IDPs, among others, face food shortages and limited access to humanitarian aid”.
The field survey underscored that governance issues further compound the situation in Tigray.
“The refusal of the TPLF to transfer administrative offices to the Interim Administration has undermined governance efforts, alienating opposition parties and civil society organizations,” reads the survey. “The city of Shire, located in the Northwestern Zone, has emerged as a center for organized international crimes, contributing to the region’s instability.”
According to the survey, a lack of inclusive governance frameworks has eroded public trust and deepened divisions within the region.
The findings from the TIP-led investigation underscore the grave challenges facing Tigray, and the joint parties have called for immediate action to address the issues in the region.
“We wrote an open letter to the international community and to the embassies in Ethiopia about the conditions in Tigray,” Dejen told The Reporter.
When approached, Fisseha Miresa, head of the Tigray Bureau of Land and Mining, referred The Reporter to another official, stating the issues did not fall under his purview. The other official declined to comment.