Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
Position Statement by the Raya Rayuma Democratic Party (RDP)
Subject: Condemning the TPLF’s Systematic Aggression and the Chairperson’s Genocidal Agenda Against the Rayan People
The Raya Rayuma Democratic Party (RDP) issues this urgent statement to alert the Ethiopian people and the international community about the grave political and humanitarian crisis unfolding in Raya, orchestrated by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) under the direction of its current Chairperson Dr. Debretsion and the old guards—blood traders who have fed off war and instability for decades.
The TPLF leadership, particularly its unrepentant old-guard architects, have consistently treated the lives of Rayan people as expendable, and Raya itself as a battlefield, a military corridor, and a logistic dumping ground. In three consecutive civil wars with the Federal Government, it was Raya that was turned into a war zone, sacrificing its youth, its economy, and its stability—all without the consent of its people.
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These warmongering elites—who have enriched themselves through conflict—have now turned inward to destroy what remains of Raya’s identity, social cohesion, and political voice. Their hands are stained with the blood of Tigrayan youth, forcibly conscripted and sent to die in wars they neither understood nor chose. But their special cruelty has always been reserved for the people of Raya, who resisted domination and dared to assert their distinct identity and right to self-rule.
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We Strongly Condemn the:
1. Chairperson of TPLF, whose current mission is to dismantle the Rayan people politically, economically, and culturally;
2. TPLF old guard, whose legacy is written in the blood of the poor while they reside in luxury and immunity;
3. Campaign of terror, displacement, and demographic assault now underway under the guise of regional administration;
4. systematic delegitimization of the RDP and the criminalization of peaceful political organizing in Raya
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RDP declares that Raya is not a military base. It is not a human shield. It is not an appendage of TPLF’s elite class. Raya is the homeland of a proud, indigenous, and self-governing people—and we will not allow it to be destroyed by war profiteers who sell both identity and territory for political survival.
The people of Raya Demand:
1. An immediate end to the militarized repression in Raya and removal of all occupation forces;
2. Recognition of the Rayan people’s historical, political, and territorial rights, and their right to self-rule;
3. An independent international investigation into the human rights violations and war crimes committed in Raya by TPLF forces across the last three wars;
4. Accountability for the old guards of TPLF, who continue to evade justice while orchestrating new rounds of destruction;
5. Protection for Rayan youth, elders, and community leaders, who are now under surveillance, intimidation, and threat of elimination.
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The RDP will never compromise on the existence, dignity, and rights of the Rayan people. We are not secessionists. We are not rebels. We are the legitimate representatives of a people who demand justice, truth, and freedom—and we will pursue it through peaceful struggle, legal mechanisms, and democratic mobilization.
People of Raya: we see you. We stand with you.
International community: silence is complicity.
TPLF and its warlords: your time of blood-trading and domination is coming to an end. Raya shall rise. Raya shall reclaim its rightful place.
Office of the RDP
May 15/ 2025
Addis Ababa
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U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa
Office of the Prime Minister-Ethiopia
Prosperity Party – ብልፅግና
Ministry of Peace የሰላም ሚኒስቴር
FDRE Ministry of Justice/ የኢ.ፌ.ዲ.ሪ. ፍትሕ ሚኒስቴር
Oromia Broadcasting Service – OBS
e.tv
EthioTimes
