Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
Emerging Tigray Peace Force Enters to Tigray, Vows to Dismantle TPLF-Aligned Military Core Without War
By Gebre Tatios
A newly emerged armed faction known as the Tigray Peace Force (TPF) has entered Tigray, claiming its mission is to bring sustainable peace and reform to the war-ravaged region without reigniting conflict. The group’s leadership says it aims to dismantle the powerful clique of TPLF-affiliated generals referred to as the “Above Core“, who they blame for derailing Tigray’s democratic future.
The TPF, comprised of ex-combatants, former TDF commanders, and defectors from the ousted interim administration, says it has begun mobilizing across southern and central Tigray, gaining support from dissatisfied communities devastated by war and neglected by post-war governance.
“We are not here to fight another war,” a senior TPF commander told to Tigray Herald in a phone interview. “We are here to secure peace for the people of Tigray by removing a small circle of unaccountable military overlords who have hijacked the people’s victory.”
Rising discontent and shifting loyalties
The emergence of the TPF comes amid growing frustration over the concentration of power within TPLF leadership structures, particularly the senior military ranks often referred to locally as the “Above Core” a closed circle of generals and strategists seen as operating above both civilian oversight and party accountability.
Residents in areas recently visited by the TPF say they are hearing a different kind of rhetoric one that emphasizes peace, disarmament, and local self-determination without resorting to violence.
“They say they won’t attack fellow Tigrayans,” said a local youth leader in the Southern Zone who asked not to be named. “They want to isolate the few who are blocking change, not divide the people.”
Still, analysts warn that even without open warfare, the group’s presence could destabilize an already fragile region and inflame tensions between rival factions.
TPLF dismisses group as ‘fragmented spoilers’
Responding to the development, a senior official of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) dismissed the TPF’s claims, calling the group “an insignificant faction of spoilers and opportunists.”
“They are trying to rewrite the narrative of the struggle and discredit those who actually defended the region,” the official said. “There is no such thing as an ‘Above Core’. This is propaganda aimed at weakening Tigray from within.”
However, public discourse tells a more nuanced story. In the streets of Mekelle and Adigrat, citizens speak in hushed tones about fatigue, loss, and the need for a new chapter.
“What we want is peace real peace,” said a former civil servant. “The war was supposed to bring liberation. But now, we are still waiting. If the TPF can bring change without blood, maybe they deserve a chance.”
A fragile post-war landscape
Tigray is still reeling from the catastrophic civil war that erupted in November 2020 and lasted until the Pretoria Agreement of November 2022. More than 600,000 civilians are estimated to have died, with mass displacement, famine, and human rights abuses leaving scars that will take decades to heal.
Though the guns have mostly fallen silent, trust in governing institutions remains low, and efforts toward reconstruction and reconciliation have been slow.
“The war may be over,” said a Horn of Africa analyst based in Nairobi, “but the peace is deeply unstable. Any group that offers a vision beyond the TPLF’s tight grip is bound to get attention especially if it promises justice without another war.”
The road ahead
TPF leaders say they will not target civilian infrastructure or engage in battle unless provoked. Instead, their goal is to “reclaim Tigray’s liberation” from what they describe as “a stale and self-serving elite.”
Whether this new force represents a path to healing or a prelude to renewed fragmentation will depend on the response of both the TPLF and the people of Tigray.
For now, the region watches cautiously as another chapter in its turbulent history unfolds.
Gebre Tatios is a journalist and researcher focused on the Horn of Africa. He writes on conflict, displacement, and transitional justice.
