Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
“Land is Dignity: A Global Appeal to Stop the Brutal Land Grabbing and Crimes Against Civilians in Debri and the 70 Enderta Districts of Tigray”
Issued by: Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International (TAHRJI)
Date: 6 June 2025
I. Executive Summary
We, the Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International (TAHRJI), issue thisurgent and unwavering appeal to the international community, Tigrayan civic and political leaders, and regional authorities to immediately intervene and stop the illegal, violent, and politically orchestrated land grabbing campaigns perpetrated by rogue TPLF-afiliated networks and militias operating under the so-called “Above the Core” army command.
Particularly, we raise the alarm over brutal attacks on innocent civilians in Debri, in the out skirts of Mekelle City, and across the 70 districts of Enderta, where local communities have faced displacement, imprisonment, harassment, and extrajudicial violence for resisting the illegal confiscation of their ancestral lands.
This campaign of terror is not only a gross violation of international human rights and humanitarian law—it is a deliberate crime against humanity.
II. Grave Situation in Debri and Enderta: A Human Rights Emergency
On the outskirts of Mekelle, particularly in Debri, civilians have been attacked by militias linkedto the TPLF’s corrupt and criminal networks, many of them afiliated with the discredited “Abovethe Core” military faction. This is part of a broader operation to illegally seize land, suppressdissent, and impose violent control over Tigrayan citizens who lawfully defend their homes,dignity, and constitutional rights.
Eyewitnesses and survivor testimonies confirm:Coercive land seizures without legal basis.Threats, arrests, and physical violence against landowners who refuse to surrender theirproperty.Armed intimidation of civilians, including elderly, women, and youth.Illegal imprisonment of community leaders and vocal opponents of the land invasions.
Continuous displacement and denial of resettlement rights to those afected by war and politicalviolence.This orchestrated violence must be understood as a systemic attempt to erase legal landownership, punish independent communities, and reimpose political control through fear.
III. Legal and Moral Standing: Land Grabbing is a Crime Under International Law
Under international law—including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Art. 17), theAfrican Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and customary legal norms—forcible landgrabbing, displacement, and extrajudicial violence against civilians is unlawful and constitutescrimes against humanity.
The use of armed militias and political influence to forcefully transfer land from its rightful owners:
Violates property rights.
Contravenes the Pretoria Peace Agreement signed to end the war.Threatens long-term peace, reconciliation, and national reconstruction in Tigray.
IV. Our Collective Appeal: Accountability, Justice, and Immediate Action
We strongly condemn:The militarized land invasions and brutal attacks on civilians in Debri and the 70 districts ofEnderta.The continued use of TPLF-afiliated militias and political thugs under the “Above the Core”command to carry out intimidation, displacement, and repression.The failure of local administrative and military structures to protect innocent people.
V. Urgent Demands
We, therefore, demand the following immediate actions:
1. To the Tigray Interim Administration and President Getachew Reda:Launch an independent, impartial investigation into the attacks in Debri and the 70 Endertadistricts.Suspend and prosecute all TDF generals, TPLF-linked actors, and militia leaders involved inland grabbing and violent displacement.Restore land rights, dignity, and justice to all afected families.
2. To General Tadesse Worede and the Tigray Defense Forces:Cease all collaboration with rogue “Above the Core” units engaged in civilian land invasions.Uphold the Pretoria Peace Agreement by protecting civilian rights, not violating them.
3. To the Tigray Land Authority:Halt all unauthorized land redistribution operations.Conduct a public audit and legal review of all land acquisition activities since 2023.
4. To the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, and Human RightsWatch:Send an urgent fact-finding mission to investigate crimes committed in Debri and thesurrounding areas.Include these incidents in broader reporting on post-war abuses in Tigray.
5. To the U.S., EU, UK, and Western Diplomatic Missions in Ethiopia:Issue public statements of condemnation.Condition future humanitarian and reconstruction support on transparent land governance andcivilian protection.
6. To All Tigrayan Civic, Religious, and Political Organizations:Speak with one voice against this criminal betrayal of our people’s sacrifices and pain.Stand in solidarity with the people of Debri and Enderta who refuse to be silenced.
VI. Final Message:
“Those Who Wave the Stick Today Will Face Its Blow Tomorrow”> “We dare to say: we will not distribute our land as you wish. We will not allow the robbery ofour dignity masked as politics. To those who threaten us with sticks today—we remind you: thepeople’s patience has limits, and justice is on our side.”Let it be known to all: Tigray’s liberation was not won to be followed by internal tyranny. Landbelongs to the people, not to warlords or corrupt elites.
We call on every voice of conscience—from the Tigrayan diaspora to the United Nations—to actnow before this injustice ignites deeper conflict.
Contact
Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International (TAHRJI)
Email: info@tahrji.orgTwitter/X: @TigrayJusticeIntlTelegram: t.me/tahrjiupdatesWebsite: www.tahrji.org
