Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
A Generational Rejection of the TPLF’s Above-the-Core Military Betrayal in Southern and Southeastern Tigray
Executive Summary
This urgent statement condemns the unlawful and politically catastrophic military operations launched by the outlawed TPLF’s “Above-the-Core” faction against the Southern and Southeastern administrative zones of Tigray most critically, the Raya and Enderta regions. These assaults, occurring during the peak of the rainy and farming season, represent not only a betrayal of Tigrayan civilians but a strategic blow to Tigray’s agricultural survival, political cohesion, and post-genocide recovery.
While these actions are deceptively framed as measures to enforce internal order, they in fact reflect a deliberate power consolidation efort by TPLF hardliners an efort reportedly aligned with, or at least echoing, the geopolitical interests of the Eritrean regime through what insiders have termed the “ጽምዶ” or Death Pact.
This development is broadly rejected by the people of Tigray, who view it as an unambiguous act of treason.We, the editorial and strategic analysts of Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review and the Tigray Herald, issue this principled denunciation. We call upon all Tigrayans especially the younger,post-genocide generation to reject this return to militarized authoritarianism and internal colonialism. The betrayal of Raya and Enderta zones that bore immense sacrifices during theresistance must not be forgotten, normalized, or forgiven.
- Context: Cultivation Season Hijacked-A Deliberate Campaign of Devastation
During the critical rainy season, when farmers in Raya and Enderta should be cultivating and rebuilding their lives, they now face an existential threat not from external enemies, but from rogue elements within their own military structure.The Above-the-Core TPLF-aligned forces, once sheltered by these communities during the genocidal war, have turned their weapons against the very civilians who fed, hid, and fought beside them.Raya Valley, known as Tigray’s agricultural heartland, now stands at the edge of man-madefamine, forced displacement, and militarized disruption engineered by a faction desperate tomaintain political control. This is not simply a military campaign it is a calculated assault on the socioe conomic bedrock of Tigray’s survival and future.
- Strategic Betrayal: From Sanctuary to Siege From Heroes to Hostages
During the genocidal war, the people of Raya and Enderta played a historic role in safeguarding the region’s integrity. Today, they are treated as enemies by the very commanders they once defended.These military actions are:Unauthorized under the current legal frameworks of the Tigray Interim Government.Unconstitutional, in direct violation of the Pretoria Peace Agreement.Politically regressive, reflecting a return to one-party dominance and military coercion.Strategically aligned with Eritrea, through the alleged “ጽምዶ” (Death Pact), which constitutes treason of the highest order.
- Weaponizing the Rain: Agricultural Destruction as Military Strategy
The timing of the assault is no accident. The rainy season is a time of hope and economic lifeblood for Tigray’s rural population now turned into a tool of state collapse.Farmers already face:Fertilizer shortages, due to post-war collapse and corruption.Pests and plant diseases, with no agricultural support or intervention.Soil exhaustion, aggravated by lack of resources and investment.
These are now compounded by:
Displacement from key farming areas.
Intimidation, extortion, and forced conscription in rural villages.
Destruction of agricultural infrastructure, cutting off food security and community autonomy.
This is not collateral damage. It is an intentional strategy to break the will of southern and southeastern Tigray through famine and fear.
- The Death Pact: Militarized Authoritarianism Repackaged
The so-called “ጽምዶ” (Death Pact) a secretive alliance between rogue TPLF commanders and Eritrean regime actors is viewed by many as the most grotesque betrayal in modern Tigrayanhistory. “Not In My Name” has emerged as the generational rejection of a toxic political legacy:
34 years of militarized TPLF rule.
A system built on nepotism, cronyism, and clientelist militarism.The repeated use of Tigrayan blood and land as bargaining chips in power games.
This campaign signals:
The implosion of legitimacy within the TPLF’s old guard.The collapse of the Pretoria process, unless urgently re-anchored by local and international actors.The deliberate erosion of Tigray’s unity, masked as “internal security.”
- Call to Action: Tigray Must Not Be Silent
We call upon፡
All Tigrayan zones፡Central,Northwesternand Eastern
To stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Raya, Enderta, and the rural periphery.
The Tigrayan Diaspora
To raise their voice, apply international pressure, and use diplomatic platforms to denounce thisbetrayal.
The Tigray Interim Government
To immediately condemn these rogue military actions, protect civilians, and establish a credible,independent investigation free from Above-the-Core interference.
International Actors
The African Union, the UN, and all Pretoria Agreement stakeholders must recognize this as aninternal act of aggression, and intervene to uphold peace, demilitarization, and regional stability.
- Conclusion: Tigray Stands at a Crossroads
This moment is historic.Either Tigray unites to reject authoritarian regression and stand for justice, or it spirals back intointernal warfare, economic collapse, and the death of post-genocide hopes.We, as a collective conscience of the people, declare:No to Above-the-Core militarism. No to the betrayal of Raya and Enderta. No to authoritarianism masquerading as unity.
We declare:
Yes to accountability.
Yes to reform.
Yes to generational renewal and moral clarity.
Let every village, diaspora hub, and oficial institution echo this cry:
“Not In My Name.”
Prepared by:Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review,Tigray Herald Editorial Board
This document is a strategic warning, a moral line in the sand, and an urgent appeal todefend Tigray’s future structure.
