Ethiopia’s electoral officials announced on Thursday the suspension of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the former ruling party of the Tigrayan ethnic group, due to its violation of a political agreement established two years following the devastating Tigray conflict.
During the war from 2020 to 2022, the TPLF was designated as a terrorist organization; however, it regained its status as a legitimate political entity after the cessation of hostilities. This reinstatement allowed the party to participate in the political landscape of Ethiopia once more.
According to the agreement reached in 2024, the TPLF was required to conduct a formal election process to appoint new leadership by February 10 of this year. The recent suspension indicates a significant setback in the party’s compliance with the terms of this agreement.
Ethiopia’s National Election Board issued a statement on X indicating that the party did not comply with the agreement, which constitutes a “clear violation.”
“The party is prohibited from engaging in any political activities for a period of three months,” the statement noted.
Furthermore, it warned that “the party’s registration will be revoked if corrective actions are not taken within this timeframe.”
Getachew Reda, a prominent leader of the TPLF faction, did not provide a response to AFP’s inquiry for comments.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) held power in Ethiopia for almost thirty years until the ascension of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is not of Tigrayan descent, in 2018. This transition of leadership sparked significant tensions that escalated in 2020, culminating in a two-year conflict between government forces and Tigrayan factions, resulting in an estimated death toll of 600,000 individuals.
Following the conclusion of the war, internal discord has emerged within the TPLF, particularly between Getachew, who leads a temporary Tigrayan administration established by the central government in Addis Ababa, and Debretsion Gebremichael, the party’s longstanding leader. This rift highlights the ongoing struggles for power and influence within the party.
Recently, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), an independent organization that tracks conflict-related casualties globally, issued a warning regarding the potential for these internal tensions to escalate into renewed violence. The situation remains precarious, with the possibility of further conflict looming over the region.
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The information presented above was not generated by the news department of The Habesha. This article has been authored by AFP. For additional information, please refer to AFP.com.
Tigray should move foreward from its current de facto status to dejure and declare formal independence. The registration of the TPLF as a party in Ethiopia should not concer Tigrayans who seek independence and statehood.
An illegal party, PP, using the illegitimate political institution called Election Board, to take illegal measures against an illegal party, TPLF. Can it get more ridiculous than this?
Abiy Ahmed seems to prefer blinding the mouse and playing with it for the longest time. We can only say that he is more TPLF than TPLF itself.
Will TPLF care? TPLF has always been illegal with the utmost disregard for the rule of law except when it can use it as a weapon of coercion or as a tool to destroy its enemies.
Maybe rephrasing your introduction statement like this would be closer to the truth. “This 1.7 billion dollar assistance has been crucial in purchasing drones, heavy artillery, tanks, aircraft, bombs, spying hardware that was used to crush the armed opposition that flared all over the country due to the political ineptitude AND NARCISISITIC DICTATORIAL THIRST of Abiy Ahmed.
Please ignore the last post. Erroneously posted under this article.