Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
Tigray’s Lost 63 Days: A Scathing Review of General Tadesse Worede’s Failed Interim
Presidency
“From False Hope to Deepening Crisis: How 63 Days of Inaction Under General Tadesse
Worede Betrayed Tigray’s People and Post-Genocide Recovery”
Prepared by Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review (HAGR)
In collaboration with leading regional and international political and security experts
Date: June 2025
Executive Summary
General Tadesse Worede’s 63-day tenure as the self-imposed President of the Tigray Interim Administration marks one of the most shameful and ineffective political episodes in the region’s recent post-genocide history. Rather than restoring governance, territorial sovereignty, and civilian dignity, his leadership has accelerated institutional decay, empowered outlawed military factions, silenced the press, and betrayed the core aspirations of the Tigrayan people.
This report provides an unflinching, evidence-based assessment of General Tadesse’s
catastrophic performance, based on regional monitoring, internal testimonies, and verified
intelligence. It aims to alert the diplomatic community, civil society, and Tigrayan stakeholders to the escalating dangers of militarized autocracy, political hijacking, and strategic paralysis.
- 63 Days of Emptiness: Power Without Purpose
“In every lost day, Tigray’s pain deepens; in every avoided responsibility, its enemies grow stronger.”
In the 63 days since General Tadesse Worede unconstitutionally assumed leadership of the
Tigray Interim Administration, the region has witnessed a stunning vacuum of effective civilian governance. Instead of initiating democratic reform or addressing critical post-war recovery efforts, his administration has devolved into a placeholder regime used to shield former TPLF power elites from accountability.
Despite occupying the highest interim office, Tadesse:
Issued no major policy directives to address displacement, insecurity, or reconstruction.
Avoided press conferences or public briefings, leaving the population confused and leaderless. Failed to establish a roadmap for elections, national dialogue, or political reconciliation.
- The Militarized Hijacking of Civil Administration: “The Core” and “Above the Core” Still Rule The most dangerous legacy of Tadesse Worede’s rule is the unlawful and unconstitutional
continuation of military generals and political loyalists of the defunct TPLF occupying civilian district administration roles across central, eastern, and southern Tigray. These elements — referred to by locals as “The Core” and “Above the Core” — include:
Retired or active TPLF military commanders now acting as unelected mayors, zone heads, and district directors. Factions obstructing IDP return and diverting humanitarian aid to loyal networks. Military commanders extorting civilians through illegal “taxation” and land grabs. This militarization of civil governance, directly tolerated by General Tadesse, contradicts the Pretoria Peace Agreement’s principles, violates the Ethiopian Constitution, and obstructs any return to civilian rule and justice.
- Return of IDPs & Territorial Integrity: Still a Dream Deferred
Despite international pressure, the Tigray Interim Administration under Tadesse has made no measurable progress toward:
Voluntary, dignified, and secure return of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Restoration of territories under Eritrean or Amhara occupation, particularly in Western Tigray, Raya, and parts of Irob. Coordinating with the Ethiopian federal government to implement border and security guarantees. This failure undermines regional stability and continues to leave war survivors in camps without hope, land, or justice.
- Peace and Security Deteriorating: Eritrean and TPLF Military Factions Colluding
Verified intelligence and eyewitness accounts confirm the unholy and treasonous alliance
between outlawed TPLF military factions and Eritrea’s PFDJ regime. Despite their supposed
enmity, recent months have seen:
Coordinated trafficking of minerals across the border into Eritrean-held markets.
Military-to-military backchannel talks, reportedly involving gold smuggling from Tigray minesJoint destabilization efforts targeting reformist forces aligned with Getachew Reda’s government.
Tadesse Worede has utterly failed to investigate or dismantle these networks. His silence suggests complicity — or, at best, incompetence.
- Media Crackdown and Repression of Truth: Return of Authoritarian Shadows
“When truth becomes dangerous, only the corrupt fear the light.” Media freedom has deteriorated significantly under Tadesse Worede’s administration:
TBS TV journalists were unlawfully detained in Axum by rogue security forces linked to the
TPLF military core. Independent digital media and online political commentators face threats, surveillance, and content takedowns. No public condemnation or legal accountability has been pursued by Tadesse’s office. This marks a betrayal of the sacrifices made by Tigrayan journalists and activists during the genocide who fought to keep the truth alive.
- Stalled Federal Dialogue: No Negotiation, No Direction
Since assuming office, Tadesse Worede has not initiated, facilitated, or responded to efforts for formal political negotiations with the Ethiopian federal government. This inaction delays: The restoration of constitutional order and territorial integrity under the Pretoria Agreement. Federal budget allocations for reconstruction and humanitarian aid. Legal amnesty frameworks for low-ranking Tigrayan soldiers and civil servants caught in wartime roles. Worse still, his faction’s secretive activities have undermined the credibility of the broader Tigrayan reformist bloc on the national stage.
- Conclusion: A Lost Presidency in a Region that Cannot Afford More Loss
General Tadesse Worede’s 63-day presidency will be remembered as a dangerous experiment in political stagnation, militarized civil capture, and betrayal of transitional hope. Tigray’s people— survivors of genocide, war, and displacement — deserve leadership that is transparent, accountable, and reform-driven. Tadesse’s record is the antithesis of these values.
Key Recommendations by HAGR Experts
- Immediate Resignation of General Tadesse Worede
An independent civilian leadership council must be appointed with representatives from
religious, academic, legal, and women’s organizations.
- Establishment of an Independent Inquiry
Investigate Tadesse Worede’s links to illegal mining, media repression, and the failure to implement Pretoria terms. - Expulsion of Military Factions from Civil Administration All “Core” and “Above the Core” elements must be removed from governance, with an interim civilian caretaker council deployed.
- Unconditional Release of Detained Journalists International media freedom organizations should monitor violations in Tigray.
- Full Restoration of Political Negotiations
A neutral diplomatic team must be formed to reinitiate talks with the Ethiopian federal government.
Final Message to the People of Tigray and the World
“The Tigrayan struggle did not endure genocide to fall under the boots of generals.” The betrayal of our martyrs cannot be masked by medals or empty speeches. Leadership is service, not entitlement. It is time for real civilian governance, real peace, and real reform not recycled power and militarized deception.
Document prepared by:
Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review (HAGR)
With contributions from:
International security analysts
Legal experts on transitional justice
Regional political scientists
Journalists and civil society monitors in Tigray and the Horn of Africa
