Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
UTNA Slams Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry Letter as “Calculated Distortion of Truth”
The Union of Tigrayans in North America (UTNA), a prominent civic organization representing the Tigrayan diaspora in the United States and Canada, has issued a scathing rebuttal to a recent statement from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accusing it of “cynical distortion” and historical revisionism.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the diplomatic community and international stakeholders, UTNA condemned the Foreign Ministry’s June 20th communique (Ref: MFA/UN/2025/017) as an “attempt to rewrite history, evade responsibility, and lay the groundwork for renewed conflict.”
“The letter is a calculated and cynical distortion of reality—deliberately narrated to misrepresent the facts on the ground,” UTNA wrote. “It is essential that the international community identify and understand the true sources of the ongoing human suffering in Tigray.”
Accusations of State-Orchestrated Deception
At the heart of UTNA’s response is an allegation that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration is attempting to whitewash its role in the brutal two-year war in Tigray by scapegoating Eritrea.
While the Foreign Ministry claims Eritrea is conducting illegal incursions and interfering in Ethiopia’s sovereignty, UTNA argues that the Ethiopian government not only invited Eritrean troops into Tigray in late 2020 but also coordinated closely with them during some of the war’s most destructive phases.
“Mr. Abiy Ahmed not only allowed but actively invited Eritrea to wage war against his own citizens,” UTNA stated. “The current attempt to portray Eritrea as the aggressor is a calculated act of political convenience.”
Rejecting the Call to Renew War
The letter also claims that, in the aftermath of the Pretoria Agreement (CoHA) signed in November 2022, Prime Minister Abiy sought to enlist Tigray’s political and military leaders in launching a new war against Eritrea—an offer UTNA says was wisely declined.
“Tigray’s leadership demonstrated profound wisdom by rejecting this reckless proposal,” the letter states. “This rejection has fostered an emerging grassroots reconciliation between the peoples of Tigray and Eritrea communities long torn apart by militarized state agendas.”
Silent Genocide and Continued Occupation
Far from experiencing a post-conflict recovery, UTNA paints a picture of Tigray as a region still engulfed in silent war. The organization alleges the federal government is deliberately sabotaging peace by:
Prolonging displacement of millions of internally displaced Tigrayans (IDPs),
Allowing illegal occupation of Tigrayan territories by Amhara regional forces,
And restricting humanitarian aid, fueling food insecurity and economic strangulation.
“This is not a failure of implementation,” UTNA insists. “It is a deliberate strategy to break the will of the Tigrayan people through protracted, silent violence.”
Pretoria Agreement Undermined
UTNA accuses the federal government of undermining the Pretoria Agreement from the outset. Despite international hopes that the agreement would end hostilities, the group claims Addis Ababa has shown “no genuine political will” to implement it.
“The government of Mr. Abiy Ahmed continues to blame others while refusing to uphold key provisions of the CoHA,” UTNA said. “The key to peace lies in adherence to the agreement: withdrawal of invading forces, restoration of territories, return of IDPs, and full humanitarian access.”
“Peace is Inconvenient” for Abiy’s Regime
UTNA’s letter portrays the federal government as reliant on perpetual conflict for political survival. It argues that a reconciliation between Tigray and Eritrea threatens Abiy Ahmed’s power calculus.
“Peace fundamentally undermines Mr. Abiy Ahmed’s strategy of sowing division to consolidate control,” UTNA warns. “His efforts to sabotage Tigray-Eritrea rapprochement are part of a broader strategy of sustaining instability.”
Call for International Action
The letter concludes with an appeal to the international community not to be “swayed by one-sided diplomatic overtures.” UTNA is urging global powers and multilateral organizations to:
Reject Ethiopia’s narrative shift and acknowledge its past alliance with Eritrea,
Support grassroots reconciliation efforts between Tigray and Eritrea,
Pressure Ethiopia to fulfill the CoHA’s terms, including demilitarization and return of IDPs,
Back independent international investigations into war crimes committed by all parties.
“Tigray is not in recovery it is still at war, albeit through quieter, deadlier means,” UTNA concluded. “Peace must be built on truth, justice, and mutual respect not selective memory or manufactured enmity.”
Contact:
Union of Tigrayans in North America (UTNA)
📞 +1 (202) 321-7770
📧 utna.secretary@gmail.com
