Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
RE: Vehement Objection to ‘s Continued Territorial Misrepresentation and Classifications in Western Tigray
A coalition of Tigrayan scholars, professionals, and civil society organizations, led by the Global Society of Tigray Scholars and Professionals (GSTS), has issued a vehement objection to a recent report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), accusing it of “continued territorial misrepresentation and classifications in Western Tigray.”
The statement, signed by 16 academic and civic society organizations, alleges that OCHA’s report misleadingly labeling western Tigray as “contested” represents “a pernicious attempt to erase Tigray’s historical identity and territorial integrity.” They argue that OCHA’s consistent misrepresentation and “artificial designations of the illegally occupied Western Tigray” have been evidenced in reports dated April 29, 2022, and June 3, 2025.
The signatories assert that OCHA’s actions violate international humanitarian law and contribute to the suffering of the Tigrayan people. They accuse OCHA of engaging in “deliberate political maneuver aimed at undermining Tigray’s constitutional territorial integrity and historical identity” by renaming Tigray’s regions as “not simply an administrative technicality.”
The joint statement condemns what it describes as “the large-scale ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, mass killings, widespread conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and rape, slavery, and the systematic erasure of Tigrayan identity,” which they attribute to the ongoing occupation. They also highlight the “continued gross human rights violations and displacement of more than one and half million people.”
The organizations further claim that OCHA has persisted in producing reports, maps, and public statements that present misleading geographic descriptions and classifications, showcasing a systematic bias that prevents factual legitimacy. They point to alleged inaccuracies in the depiction of regional boundaries, referencing Article 47 of the 1995 Constitution of the FDRE and other relevant articles.
The Tigrayan groups call upon the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to conduct an immediate investigation into the source of these persistent and dangerous misrepresentations, immediately reverse such policy and engage with legitimate Tigrayan authorities, exercise utmost care and sensitivity to avoid unwillingly or deliberately affirming illegal occupation and the suffering of the indigenous Tigrayan residents, and adhere strictly to humanitarian mandates and principles of neutrality, independence, and respect for local governance structures.
They also demand that the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) take decisive action against politically motivated misrepresentations, uphold constitutional boundaries, and reaffirm its commitment to the peace process. Similarly, they urge the Tigray Interim Administration (TIA) to condemn “arbitrarily designations” and demand OCHA and other actors immediately withdraw any maps and documents that misrepresent Tigray’s territorial integrity.
The statement also calls upon guarantors and stakeholders of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) to condemn these “calculated political acts” by OCHA and work towards peace process improvement. The signatories reaffirm their readiness and unwavering commitment to collaborate with all stakeholders to uphold the Ethiopian constitution, ensure the full implementation of the CoHA, and foster sustainable peace in Ethiopia and the broader Horn of Africa region.
- Conduct an immediate investigation to identify the source of these persistent and dangerous misrepresentations, and to rectify them in all reports, maps, and statements, ensuring that such errors are never repeated;
- Immediately reverse such policy and engage with legitimate Tigrayan authorities, the Tigray Interim Administration (TIA), on appropriate geographical and administrative designations that respect Tigray’s constitutional status and territorial integrity;
- Exercise utmost care and sensitivity to avoid unwittingly or deliberately affirming the illegal occupation of Tigrayan territories or employing unconstitutional characterizations that contradict the country’s constitution and perpetuate the sufferings of the indigenous Tigrayan residents under the occupied areas; and
- Adhere strictly to its humanitarian mandates and the principles of neutrality, independence, and respect for local governance structures, which should guide its work as outlined in the UN Charter, UN General Assembly, and UN Security Council resolutions, such as neutrality, on sovereignty and internal affairs of member states, etc.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to:
- Take decisive action against such politically motivated misrepresentations, and ensure that all local and international institutions and organizations respect and uphold the constitutional boundaries and regional maps of Ethiopia as they existed before the war on Tigray; and
- Reaffirm its commitment to the peace process by swiftly countering any efforts that distort the constitutional framework or territorial integrity of regional states.
Tigray Interim Administration to:
- Swiftly and formally condemn and reject these arbitrarily designations; and demand OCHA and other actors immediately withdraw any maps and documents that misrepresent Tigray’s territorial integrity, respect Tigray’s proper administrative units and names as established under the constitutional framework; and officially file suit against these irresponsible actions to ensure accountability.
Guarantors and Stakeholders to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) to:
- Strongly condemn these calculated political acts by OCHA, as they have the potential to undermine the peace process initiated by the Pretoria Agreement by weakening the agreement’s call for restoration of the constitutional status quo ante, and thus call on OCHA to cease and desist actions that could jeopardize the peace process.
