Addis Abeba – A faction of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), led by Getachew Reda, accused the Debretsion Gebremichael-led group of “plotting a coup” against the interim administration of the Tigray region.
In a statement issued on 18 September, 2024, the faction led by Getachew asserted, “A group with no legal standing cannot take any action against any institution in the region. We want to make it clear that this group lacks moral, political, and social legitimacy.”
The statement further demanded that the Tigray interim administration should not allow this illegal group to continue violating the law and order, urging it to “restore order.”
In the statement, Getachew’s faction emphasized its commitment to fully upholding the Pretoria peace agreement. It accused the Debretsion faction of engaging in a campaign that jeopardizes “the victory achieved by the sacrifices of the people of Tigray.”
“The people and members of the party must unite against this destructive faction that, in its pursuit of power, has repeatedly brought disaster to the region,” the statement warned.
The Getachew group also criticized the Debretsion faction for leading Tigray “toward unnecessary suffering and repeatedly betraying the people.”
The group also accused Debretsion of downplaying the genocide that occurred in Tigray by dismissing the one million civilian deaths as “unfounded and lacking evidence.”
In an interview broadcast by Horizon Media recently, Debretsion expressed skepticism about the claim that one million people had died during the Tigray war, stating that “the figure was not based on any research or credible evidence.”
Getachew’s faction responded in its statement, condemning Debretsion’s comments, saying that “his remarks trivialize the suffering of the Tigray people and minimize the crimes of genocide committed against them.”
“The genocide perpetrated in Tigray is a grave crime, and no amount of denial can erase its impact,” the statement from Getachew’s faction asserted.
The statement by Getachew’s faction follows the recent announcement by the TPLF, led by Debretsion, regarding the expulsion of 16 former members and senior leaders, including the party’s former deputy chairperson, Getachew Reda.
In a statement released on 17 September, 2024, the party confirmed that a Central Committee meeting was held on 15 September, 2024, during which three key decisions were made. One of the resolutions declared that the 16 expelled leaders no longer hold any political authority to represent the TPLF.
Among those expelled are Professor Kindeya Gebrehiwot, former president of Mekelle University; Redae Halefom, head of the regional government’s communication bureau; Dr. Hagos Godefay; and Beyene Mekru.
The statement further indicated that discussions and negotiations will be conducted with the relevant authorities regarding the roles held by these individuals within the Tigray interim administration.
The factions led by Debretsion and Getachew have been in conflict over recent changes concerning the removal and appointment of zonal administrators.
Last month, TPLF criticized the Tigray interim administration’s recent decisions to remove and appoint zonal administrators, describing these actions as “contrary to established institutional procedures.”
This follows the Tigray interim administration’s decision to remove Liya Kassa from her role as administrator of the South East Zone. Likewise, Teklay Gebremedhin, the administrator of the North Western Zone, was dismissed from his position over the weekend. Both officials had been appointed to the executive committee during the recently concluded 14th Congress of the party.
During the 14th Congress, the TPLF replaced Getachew Reda as deputy chairman with Amanuel Assefa, former head of the Tigray region’s justice bureau and chief of the Interim Administration President’s office.
