Viewpoint
Ambassador Legesse Tulu
is the Ethiopian Ambassador to Djibouti.
come together
Nearly four years after the Pretoria Peace Agreement (PPA), which ended the devastating conflict in northern Ethiopia, hopes for a durable peace remain under strain.
Published today at 06:00 am (GMT +1)Share
The Pretoria Peace Agreement (PPA) envisaged the return of displaced people, restoration of legitimate governance and political normalisation in Ethiopia. Yet these objectives remain incomplete, not because of the agreement itself, but because, many argue, TPLF hardliners have increasingly rejected its core principles.
The greatest victims of this political impasse are ordinary people in Tigray. Political claims should be judged against realities on the ground: progress in implementing the peace agreement, security, and the wellbeing of civilians. Lasting peace requires all parties to honour negotiated commitments, prioritise citizens over partisan interests, and resolve disputes through constitutional and peaceful means.
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One of the most urgent post-war challenges is the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Thousands remain unable to return home while political disagreements continue. The federal government has consistently argued that displaced families should be enabled to rebuild their lives without delay.
By contrast, TPLF hardliners have linked their return to unresolved political disputes, effectively making humanitarian relief contingent on political objectives. Human suffering should never become a bargaining tool. Families cannot rebuild their lives through political rhetoric alone, and the welfare of displaced civilians should always take precedence over partisan calculations.
Respecting institutions
The same tension is evident in disputes over contested territories. The federal government maintains that these issues should be resolved through constitutional mechanisms and the PPA, as has been achieved in some areas. TPLF hardliners, however, reject these mechanisms while simultaneously questioning the authority of the interim administration to address them.
Constitutions exist precisely to resolve political disagreements through agreed procedures rather than force. Durable peace depends upon respecting institutions even when outcomes remain uncertain.
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The PPA also envisaged a return to democratic governance. Elections are essential for restoring constitutional legitimacy, yet TPLF hardliners have argued that political dialogue and internal party matters must be settled first.
Indefinite delays risk creating a political vacuum in which democratic accountability is continually postponed. No democracy can function if elections are endlessly deferred.
Mediation is key
Dialogue is equally indispensable. The federal government, religious leaders, elders, and the National Dialogue Commission have all sought mediation. Yet repeated rejection of these initiatives risks narrowing opportunities for reconciliation.
International experience — from South Africa to Northern Ireland — demonstrates that lasting peace is achieved through engagement rather than exclusion. Societies recover when adversaries choose negotiation over confrontation.
Accountability cannot be achieved without credible institutions and meaningful participation
Justice, too, requires functioning institutions. Victims deserve accountability, recognition, and redress, and the PPA identifies transitional justice as a means of achieving these goals.
While concerns about any justice process are legitimate, rejecting transitional mechanisms altogether while demanding justice creates an obvious contradiction. Accountability cannot be achieved without credible institutions and meaningful participation.
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The agreement also prioritised disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration because lasting prosperity cannot be built through militarisation. Critics argue that TPLF hardliners have continued military mobilisation and concealed heavy weaponry. They have undermined transitional arrangements and diverted resources away from reconstruction.
Reports of forced recruitment are particularly troubling. After years of conflict, young people should be returning to education, employment, and civilian life rather than facing renewed militarisation.
Supporters of the hardline position argue that shortcomings in implementing the PPA — including unresolved territorial questions and delays affecting displaced people — justify their actions. These grievances deserve serious attention, and all parties bear responsibilities under the agreement.
Reciprocity needed
However, peace accords depend upon reciprocity. If each perceived violation becomes justification for abandoning other commitments, the agreement itself rapidly loses credibility and instability deepens.
International partners have also expressed concern. The European Union has criticised alleged actions against the Interim Regional Administration and reports of forced recruitment, while the United States has imposed visa restrictions on individuals it considers responsible for obstructing implementation of the Pretoria Agreement. These responses indicate that the peace process has become an important measure of Ethiopia’s commitment to negotiated conflict resolution.
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The people of Tigray have endured immense hardship. They deserve peace, accountable institutions, economic recovery, and leaders committed to reconciliation rather than renewed confrontation.
The Pretoria Peace Agreement was never intended to be an end in itself but a bridge towards a more stable future. Whether that promise is realised depends upon all parties choosing constitutional politics over military competition and implementing the commitments they freely accepted.
Ethiopia has already paid a devastating price for war. Renewed militarisation would endanger not only Tigray but the country as a whole.
The Pretoria Agreement remains the strongest foundation for transforming conflict into lasting peace. Its success ultimately depends on replacing the politics of violence with the politics of democratic competition, for the benefit not of governments or political organisations, but of the Ethiopian people.