Addis Abeba– The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has rejected claims that the party and Tigray military forces have engaged in “secret contact with the Eritrean government,” calling the allegations “completely untrue” and “lacking any supporting evidence.”
In a statement issued on February 26, the party alleged that outlets such as Africa Intelligence and Oromia Media Network (OMN), along with unnamed Ethiopian government officials, were spreading “fabricated falsehoods” intended to undermine the Pretoria Agreement. TPLF further claimed that a “national betrayal group” was behind these allegations, describing them as part of a “hidden conspiracy” against the ongoing peace process.
The statement follows a recent report by Africa Intelligence, which suggested that senior members of the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) have “been increasing contacts with Eritrean officers” in recent weeks. According to the report, these interactions allegedly began with “informal meetings along the 1,000 km border” before culminating in a “confidential meeting” in Asmara in late January, where Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki reportedly assured TDF officers of his “protection in the event of a conflict with Ethiopia.”
The report also highlighted growing concerns among Western embassies, which have been closely monitoring the situation amid fears of renewed hostilities.
TPLF, however, insisted that “the people of Tigray, the Tigray military forces, and TPLF have no hidden desires beyond fully implementing the Pretoria Agreement.” The party accused unnamed actors of spreading “fabricated accusations to confuse the public and the international community” instead of focusing on the agreement’s implementation.
Since the signing of the Pretoria Agreement, TPLF stated, “the forces and people of Tigray have endured all kinds of injustices” while demonstrating a “commitment to peace in practice.” Despite facing “internal and external conspiracies,” the party declared, “We will not lose hope in the peace process.”
“Our principled stance on peace will not change in any form,” TPLF affirmed, adding that its efforts to secure “peace with all neighboring regional states and countries will continue.” The party called on all concerned actors to take the Pretoria Agreement seriously, saying it is “the key to solving regional, national, and neighborhood problems.”
The statement comes amid escalating divisions within TPLF between factions led by Debretsion Gebremichael and Interim Administration President Getachew Reda. Recent developments have seen elements of the Tigray military forces aligning with one side, heightening concerns over further instability.
More recently, former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome accused Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki of attempting to “exploit divisions within the TPLF” to weaken the Pretoria Agreement, warning that such actions could “reignite war in northern Ethiopia.”
In an opinion piece published by Al Jazeera on February 17, he alleged that Isaias is engaged in “manoeuvres that are as destructive as they are predictable” and has “joined forces with elements within the TPLF who were unhappy with the peace agreement,” a move he warned could “tear up the whole peace deal” and destabilize the region. AS
