Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
The international policy standards.document retains all core investigative findings andaugments narrative power for publication under Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review and Tigray Herald.
Roads of Deception: The Hidden TPLF-PFDJ War Pact Behind the Adwa–Ahsa-a Eritrea Route
A Joint Investigative Report by the Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review & Tigray Herald Editorial Investigation Team
Executive Summary
This investigative report, jointly compiled by the Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review (HAGR) andthe Tigray Herald Editorial Investigation Team, reveals an alarming security and geopolitical deception. Under the guise of community development, a 102-kilometer gravelroad—connecting Adwa and Ahsa-a Woreda to Eritrean border zones has been inauguratedwith the covert backing of outlawed TPLF military factions.
What appears to be a grassroots reconstruction initiative is, in fact, a strategic cover forreactivating a clandestine corridor that links fugitive TPLF commanders with Eritrea’sauthoritarian regime under Isaias Afwerki. The hidden purpose: to build a joint escape route,military refuge, and staging ground for renewed conflict that directly undermines the PretoriaPeace Agreement and jeopardizes peace in the Horn of Africa.
Narrative Focus
The Central Tigray Corridor Conspiracy: A Criminal Survival Pact Between the Outlawed TPLFand Eritrea’s Genocidal Regime
Introduction: Behind the Façade of Development
In May 2025, oficials from the Tigray Interim Administration, including Vice President AmanuelAssefa and former TPLF Chairman Debretsion Gebremichael, attended the inauguration of agravel road constructed by the people of Ahsa Woreda and local security forces. Framed as a”community-driven” success story, the project was presented as a symbol of post-war recovery.
However, our investigation confirms that this event was strategically staged to mask the creationof a covert military corridor. The true intent: to facilitate cross-border coordination with the Eritrean regime and re-enable fugitive TPLF elements to regroup and launch renewed destabilization campaigns.
Key Individuals Behind the Deception
Confirmed actors in the covert operation include:
Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael – Ex-TPLF chairman, coordinating covert mobilization and escapelogistics.
Fetlework “Monjorino” Gebregziabher – Rogue TPLF operative with direct links to Eritreanborder logistics.
Amanuel Assefa – Vice President of the Interim Administration, accused of providing politicalcover for the operation.
General Henssa GebregiorgisGeneral Haileselassie Girmay
General Abraha Denkule
General Mahsho Beyene – Senior TPLF-aligned military figures overseeing route security andtactical redeployment.
Strategic Deception: A Classic Diversion Tactic
The road inauguration is a textbook example of military deception cloaked in civil infrastructure:
1. Escape Route: Designed to enable the covert flight of TPLF fugitives into Eritrea.
2. Military Corridor: Allows coordination with Eritrean forces outside the visibility of federal andinternational monitors.
3. Avoiding Community Opposition: With widespread anti-TPLF sentiment in regions likeTembien and Adyet, Ahsa was chosen for its relative silence.
4. Pretoria Agreement Undermined: Signals coordinated TPLF-PFDJ intent to sabotage thefragile peace architecture brokered by international actors.Geostrategic Overview of the Adwa–Ahsa-a Eritrea Road
Length: 102 kilometers
Funding: 15 million birr (cash), 85 million birr (community labor)
Status: Previously ignored for 34 years by TPLF regimes
Tactical Value:
Direct border access
Remote, lightly monitored terrain
Proximity to historic guerrilla routes
The road was intentionally neglected during the TPLF’s 27-year rule. Its sudden resurrectionduring a time of military fragmentation, community backlash, and elite desperation is nocoincidence.
The Criminal Pact: TPLF–PFDJ Axis of Impunity
Our intelligence confirms the reactivation of a covert alliance between:
Outlawed TPLF FactionsThe PFDJ Regime of Isaias Afwerki
Shared objectives:
Evade international criminal accountability
Sabotage the Pretoria Peace Agreement
Create a pretext for renewed war in northern Ethiopia Maintain access to illicit mineral wealth and smuggling networks
This is not merely tactical—it is existential. For these actors, war is no longer a political tool, buta means of survival.
Public Deception & Ceremony Theater
The inauguration speeches serve as classic examples of political camouflage:
Amanuel Assefa: “The government will work decisively to answer the demands of the people.”
> Translation: Consolidate TPLF faction interests under the guise of people’s projects.
Debretsion Gebremichael:
“This initiative is commendable.”
> Translation: The road serves as a lifeline for criminal escape and covert operations.
Muzey Debeb (Ahsa-a Woreda Chief): Praised community labor while downplaying the corridor’simplications.
> Translation: Local oficials are either complicit or manipulated.
Communities Say “No” to Warlords
Unlike past eras, Tigray’s people—especially in:Tembien-Adyet-Central and Northwestern zones—have strongly rejected TPLF warmongering. These regions have denied safe haven to TPLF militants. Hence, the Ahsa-a corridor was selected out of necessity, not strategy.This is not development—it is desperation.
Geopolitical Consequences: What’s at Stake?
The Pretoria Peace Agreement may be irreparably undermined.U.S. and EU diplomatic eforts could be derailed by renewed conflict.The Eritrean regime is reinserted as a regional destabilizer.The Tigray Interim Government’s legitimacy may collapse if compromised by rogue oficials.Border zones risk militarization under the cover of infrastructure.
Strategic Policy Recommendations
To prevent a return to war and uphold peace:
1. Independent Commission of Inquiry:
Composed of civil society, international legal experts, and neutral security monitors toinvestigate the militarization of the Ahsa route.
2. Public Disavowal by Tigray Interim Government:President Getachew Reda must immediately distance the administration from covert waragendas.
3. Border Surveillance by International Monitors:
Deploy IGAD, AU, and UN teams along Ahsa–Eritrea axis.
4. Targeted Sanctions & Arrest Warrants:
Against TPLF and PFDJ actors complicit in undermining peace.
5. Civic Mobilization & Awareness Campaigns:
Empower communities to identify and resist covert manipulation by TPLF elites.
6. Regional Diplomacy Against Eritrean Regime:
Mobilize pressure via the African Union and UN Security Council to halt PFDJ’s cross-bordersupport.
Conclusion: A Road to War, Not Recovery
This is no ordinary road—it is a militarized corridor of conspiracy, built with the blood of warsurvivors and the stolen hopes of a people yearning for peace. It is the desperate last gamble offailed warlords, backed by a rogue state across the border. The Horn of Africa cannot aford another war. Tigray cannot aford another betrayal.Let this report serve as a red line: No impunity. No escape. No return to war.
Prepared By:
Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review
Tigray Herald Editorial Investigative Team
June 2025
📩 Confidential reports, security consultations, and strategic briefings:
editor@horngeopoliticalreview.org🌐 www.horngeopoliticalreview.org
