The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has condemned the Ethiopian government’s decision to ban the party, warning that the move could jeopardize the 2022 peace deal that ended the civil war in the country’s north.
On Wednesday, the National Election Board of Ethiopia officially revoked TPLF’s legal status for failing to hold a general assembly, a key requirement under national electoral law. The decision comes amid rising political tensions and less than a year before Ethiopia’s upcoming national elections.
In response, the TPLF is calling on the African Union (AU) to mediate, urging AU chair and Angolan President João Lourenço to pressure the Ethiopian government to suspend the enforcement of the ban.
TPLF Warns of Peace Agreement Breakdown
The TPLF, which currently governs Tigray’s interim administration, argues that the ban violates the Pretoria Agreement, the peace accord signed in November 2022 that brought an end to two years of brutal conflict.
“This isn’t just about TPLF,” said Ammanuel Assefa, the party’s deputy chair. “It’s about undermining what people have sacrificed for peace.”
The peace deal, according to TPLF, guarantees mutual political recognition and mandates that disputes be resolved through dialogue — not unilateral action.
Leadership Dispute Fuels Ban
The TPLF has struggled to hold its internal assembly due to a power struggle between two rival factions claiming leadership of the party. The electoral board cited this failure as the basis for deregistration.
Still, the timing of the move, so close to national elections, has raised concerns among observers and international partners. Several governments, including the U.S., U.K., and EU, have cautioned that delays in implementing the peace agreement — particularly the resettlement of over one million displaced Tigrayans — could fuel renewed violence.
From Power to Precarity
Once Ethiopia’s ruling party, the TPLF led the national government from 1991 until its coalition collapsed in 2019. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed dissolved the coalition and formed the Prosperity Party — a move the TPLF rejected, triggering a power struggle that led to the civil war.
Under the Pretoria peace deal, the TPLF regained political legitimacy and was tasked with governing Tigray’s transition. Its deregistration now threatens that role and risks undermining hard-won progress.
Conclusion
The future of Ethiopia’s fragile peace now hangs in the balance. With the TPLF stripped of its political status and tensions rising in Tigray, many fear the country could slide back into conflict unless urgent mediation is undertaken.
As Ethiopia approaches its next general election, the African Union’s role in facilitating dialogue may prove more critical than ever.
