May 6, 2025
By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The fragile peace in Ethiopia’s Tigray region is once again strained as an opposition group, Salsay Weyane Tigray, accuses the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of working to unravel the very agreement that ended the devastating two-year civil war.
In a statement released on Monday, Salsay Weyane claimed that under the leadership of Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael, the TPLF has failed to uphold critical provisions of the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement. The party alleges that the TPLF is selectively abandoning key commitments—including the return of internally displaced people and the restoration of federally controlled areas in Tigray—in favor of reviving its own political legitimacy, as once recognized by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).
It’s worth noting that NEBE officially suspended TPLF as a legal political entity in January 2021, following the onset of the war, citing its participation in “unconstitutional activities.” Though the Pretoria Agreement allowed the group to re-enter the political fold through the establishment of an interim administration, its role and influence have remained contentious ever since.
Adding to the tensions, Borkena earlier in April reported a dramatic escalation in the region’s political rift. The appointment of Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede as President of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) has stirred fresh controversy. Following the announcement of a new cabinet under his leadership, Salsay Weyane rejected the formation, labeling it an “illegitimate” body dominated solely by one TPLF faction.
“This illegitimate cabinet is fundamentally incapable of fostering a genuinely open political space or creating the necessary conditions for free, fair, and peaceful elections,” the group said in its statement.
Salsay Weyane’s frustrations reflect a broader sense of disillusionment within Tigray’s political landscape. The group argues that the new administration lacks inclusivity and marks a return to one-party dominance—precisely the kind of politics the Pretoria Agreement sought to leave behind.
In 2023, Getachew Reda—once a federal minister and a prominent reformist voice within the TPLF—was appointed president of TIRA, in what was then seen as a hopeful sign of political transition. However, his tenure drew criticism for not going far enough to open up democratic space. Earlier this year, Getachew resigned and was appointed as Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Horn of Africa Affairs—a move that drew both praise and suspicion. Some saw it as a strategic pivot by the federal government; others as a maneuver to sideline a relatively moderate figure.
Within TPLF ranks, Getachew’s leadership exposed internal divides. His push for broader inclusion reportedly alienated the more hardline camp led by Debretsion. Analysts suggest these internal tensions may have weakened his position, ultimately paving the way for Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede’s rise—an appointment that many now see as a return to the TPLF’s more conservative, militarized core.
Though respected for his wartime leadership, Tadesse’s political moves have sparked alarm. The newly formed cabinet, Salsay Weyane says, is packed with loyalists from Debretsion’s faction, excluding members associated with Getachew and completely ignoring opposition voices.
“To our profound dismay, the new TIRA president has unilaterally appointed a cabinet, completely excluding all other stakeholders,” Salsay Weyane declared. “This cabinet… is composed entirely of members of a single TPLF faction.”
The implications are serious. Opposition parties and civil society actors now worry that instead of fostering a pluralistic democracy, the TPLF hardliners are steering Tigray toward a de facto one-party rule. Salsay Weyane warns that institutions meant to support fair elections and ensure transparency are being quietly dismantled.
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“The administration is not only incapable of serving the needs of the Tigrayan people,” the group concluded, “but risks becoming a tool to entrench the power of a moribund political entity.”
The growing disenchantment within Tigray’s political opposition comes at a sensitive time. Many fear that the TPLF’s internal power struggles, coupled with its alleged sidelining of peace commitments, could threaten to unravel the delicate post-war recovery process.
Salsay Weyane is now calling on the federal government and international partners to step in—to not just observe from a distance, but to actively uphold the spirit of the Pretoria Agreement.
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