TPLF warns Ethiopian federal government failure to implement Pretoria deal threatens peace
TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael accuses Ethiopia’s federal government of blocking Pretoria Agreement talks, stalling troop withdrawals, and undermining peace efforts in Tigray.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has accused Ethiopia's federal government of obstructing key discussions on the implementation of the Pretoria Agreement, the 2022 peace deal intended to end the Tigray conflict.
Speaking over the weekend, TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael said that despite repeated requests from both his party and the mediators for a meeting, the federal government has refused to participate.
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"The mediators and we [the TPLF] want to meet and discuss the implementation of the agreement. It is the Federal Government that has refused," he said, according to The Addis Standard.
Gebremichael also criticised the mediators for not doing enough to hold the Ethiopian government accountable, saying their role has largely been limited to guidance rather than enforcement.
Gap in international pressure
He highlighted a gap in international pressure since US Special Envoy Mike Hammer left his post without a replacement, noting that this has weakened efforts to ensure the agreement is implemented.
Gebremichael’s remarks came shortly after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed questioned in Parliament whether the TPLF has the authority to demand full implementation of the Pretoria deal.
"In Pretoria, we negotiated with General Tsadkan, Getachew Reda, Assefa Abreha and others. But the main ones are these — the signatories of the agreement," Abiy said.
"When I ask these people, there are things they tell me. But those who were not in Pretoria shout for the implementation of Pretoria. This is when the saying comes: when there is the woman who bore the child, the one who only carried the baby says, 'I am the mother.'"
Signing of Pretoria Agreement
In response, Gebremichael rejected Abiy’s claims, emphasising that Getachew Reda signed the Pretoria Agreement on behalf of the TPLF, not as an individual. He added that Reda, now a federal government official, no longer has the authority to represent Tigray or act on behalf of displaced residents.
Regarding the TPLF’s legal status, Abiy said the party could restore its recognition by re-registering with the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). Gebremichael dismissed this, arguing that revoking the party’s recognition undermines the Pretoria Agreement and disregards the original signatories.
The TPLF chair also denied government claims that the party is collaborating with Eritrean forces, accusing Abiy of using the allegations to stoke tension.
He further blamed federal authorities for delaying the withdrawal of troops from Western Tigray, a move he says is preventing displaced families from returning home safely.
"It's the Ethiopian government that has to withdraw these forces. If they don't leave, IDPs cannot return, and refugees cannot come back. It has not yet done that. But it's the federal government's responsibility," he said.
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