Defunct TPLF Breaching Pretoria Deal from the Outset, Acting in Foreign Interests, Says Gebru Asrat

Addis Ababa, July 17, 2026 (ENA) — Former Tigray Chief Administrator Gebru Asrat said the banned TPLF breached the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) from the moment it was signed, alleging that the group increasingly acted as a proxy for foreign interests while undermining Ethiopia's peace process.

Speaking to ENA, the veteran Ethiopian politician and former senior TPLF leader said the illegal group failed to honor the commitments it undertook under the Pretoria Agreement.

He described the banned TPLF as a Trojan horse for anti-Ethiopian forces, exposing that it has served the interests of external actors, including the Eritrean regime and others seeking to destabilize Ethiopia.

According to Gebru, divisions emerged within the TPLF leadership immediately after the signing of the November 2022 Pretoria Agreement, with hardliners rejecting key provisions of the accord and opposing its full implementation.

"The agreement was rejected from the very beginning by key leaders within the TPLF," he said., rather than implementing it faithfully, they pursued actions that contradicted both its letter and spirit.

Gebru underscored that the group continued engaging with foreign actors on issues that, under the agreement, fall within the constitutional mandate of Ethiopia's federal government.

He further accused the defunct TPLF of failing to fulfill its obligations under the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process.

The group retained heavy weapons and reinforced its military structures instead of completing the agreed disarmament, the veteran revealed.

According to him, these actions have fueled renewed instability in Tigray region, deepened humanitarian challenges and delayed the region's post-conflict recovery.

The former chief administrator said insecurity has displaced thousands of civilians, disrupted livelihoods and forced many young people to migrate to other parts of Ethiopia or undertake dangerous journeys toward the Middle East and North Africa in search of economic opportunities.

"The farming season has been interrupted," Gebru said, noting that: "Many farmers have been unable to cultivate their land, while young people are either hiding or leaving the region because of the insecurity."

He added that fears of renewed conflict have discouraged investment and slowed reconstruction efforts, undermining prospects for sustainable economic recovery across Tigray.

Warning against a return to war, Gebru underlined that another armed conflict would neither restore what has been lost nor deliver democratic governance.

"Experience has shown that armed struggle often replaces one form of oppression with another," he said.

He further stressed that lasting political change can only be achieved through peaceful and lawful political processes.

Identifying key factors that could help safeguard the peace process, Gebru  called for sustained public pressure from the people of Tigray and continued diplomatic engagement by the international community.

He called on both the United States and the European Union to pressurize the group to fully   implement the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and refrain from actions that could jeopardize the fragile peace.

While saying that the banned TPLF may view prolonged instability as politically advantageous, Gebru stated that no armed movement lacking broad public support and international backing is likely to succeed.

He also blamed the group's armed activities have extended beyond Ethiopia's borders, including into neighboring Sudan.

Gebru called on the federal government to intensify support for internally displaced persons, unemployed youth and other communities whose lives have been severely affected by renewed insecurity.

"The government must prioritize restoring the livelihoods of those whose economic and social lives have been disrupted and help them return to normal life," he said.