Addis Abeba– The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) Central Committee, led by Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD), has announced that it will not comply with the National Election Board of Ethiopia’s (NEBE) deadline to hold the party’s general assembly, according to a statement released on Friday, 17 January 2025.
“TPLF will not accept the unilateral decision of the National Election Board of Ethiopia, whether today or tomorrow,” said the statement from the TPLF Central Committee, issued following a three-day convention.
NEBE had mandated the TPLF to conduct its general congress by February 10, 2025, as required by law, following its registration under “special circumstances” on August 9, 2024, in accordance with Proclamation No. 1332/2016.
However, NEBE stated that the party has “shown no indication” of preparing for its mandatory general assembly and warned, “Failure to fulfill this obligation will result in measures being taken in accordance with the law.”
In its statement, the TPLF Central Committee called on NEBE to “focus on continuing efforts to resolve differences through political dialogue” rather than issuing deadlines for the congress.
The three-day Central Committee meeting, held from January 13–15, addressed several issues, including the implementation of the Pretoria Peace Agreement.
In its statement, the TPLF claimed that the federal government “is becoming an obstacle to the proper implementation of the Pretoria Peace Agreement.” The party also expressed concerns about what it termed “traitor forces” in Tigray, which it said were hindering the implementation of the agreement.
The statement also addressed the issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, with the TPLF expressing “sorrow and anger about IDPs and refugees not returning to their homes,” adding that it “supports the peaceful protest conducted under the slogan ‘Enough is Enough'” in Mekelle, Tigray’s capital, over the course of three days.
The announcement comes amid a growing rift within the TPLF. The divide between the faction led by veteran leader Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD) and Tigray Interim Administration President Getachew Reda has been widening since it first emerged.
This internal split, which arose following the TPLF’s 14th Congress, previously led to Debretsion’s faction removing Getachew and several other officials from their roles in the administration, claiming they “will no longer have the authority to lead, make decisions, or issue directives.”
In response, the interim administration led by Getachew accused Debretsion’s group of attempting to “destabilize” the region through actions it described as a “coup d’état.” The administration warned that it would pursue legal action against Debretsion’s faction for allegedly sowing “chaos and anarchy” in Tigray. AS
