Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
The Civil organization I CAN’T BE SILENT ABOUT TIGRAY Urges Urgent Appeal to Uphold the Pretoria Agreement and Reject the Appeal of the TPLF-D Faction
May 15, 2025
H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Subject: Urgent Appeal to Uphold the Pretoria Agreement and Reject the Appeal of the TPLF
Faction
Your Excellency.
On behalf of the I Cannot Be Silent About Tigray movement-a global coalition of pro-democracy Tigrayan voices in the diaspora-we write to express our urgent concern regarding the African Union’s potential consideration of an appeal submitted by the recently deregistered faction of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
We respectfully urge the African Union to reject this appeal, and in doing so, affirm its commitment to the rule of law, regional peace, and the full implementation of the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA), which the AU itself helped to broker in 2022.
1. TPLF Deregistration Is a Legal and Necessary Decision
On May 14, 2025, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) legally revoked the registration of the TPLF as a political party. This was not an act of political suppression-it was a justified and long-overdue consequence of repeated violations of Ethiopia’s electoral and constitutional laws.
The TPLF faction:
Disrupted a reformist Central Committee meeting through military coercion, undermining internal democratic processes, its own Bylaws, and institutional integrity.
Held an illegal party assembly in direct violation of NEBE’s directives and Article 7 (a) of the Pretoria Agreement, despite unanimous rejection by all nine planning committee members.
Illegally ousted almost half of its Central Committee members and its Audit Commission.Ignored multiple official warnings to uphold its Bylaw and NEBE’s guidelines. Refused to operate within the bounds of a peaceful and transparent framework. This is not merely a domestic electoral issue-it has regional implications, as the TPLF’s continued defiance undermines the very peace process the AU helped initiate.
2. The TPLF Faction Has Rejected the Pretoria Agreement
Despite being a principal signatory, a faction of the TPLF leadership has systematically sabotaged the COHA both in rhetoric and in action. Their recent actions include:
Deliberately obstructed the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a political
tool to manufacture resentment and create pretexts for a second war.
Openly rejected core disarmament and reintegration provisions of the Pretoria
Agreement, using the unresolved IDP issue as a pretext for non-compliance.
THE “I CAN’T BE SILENT ABOUT TIGRAY”
Refusal to respect or cooperate with the previous Tigray Interim Administration (TIRA)
mandated to oversee Tigray’s peaceful transition.Collaborated with rogue generals to launch a coup against TIRA leadership, led by Mr.
Getachew Reda, resulting in violence and the collapse of administrative functions in
Tigray.
⚫ Re-establishing ties with the Eritrean government, in clear violation of CoHA’s Article 7(b)
and spirit.
These actions are not the missteps of a political party-they are the coordinated operations of a spoiler faction acting with armed force and foreign backing to derail peace.
3. This Faction’s Behavior Endangers Regional Stability
The collision between the TPLF faction and Eritrean leadership-led by Isaias Afwerki, a known destabilizer in the Horn-presents a direct threat to the stability of Ethiopia and the broader region.
The alliance appears to be founded not on peace or reconciliation but on a shared interest in returning to militarized control, repression, and impunity.
This faction has:
Supported illegal gold mining and human trafficking, exploiting Tigray’s suffering for
personal and political gain.
Armed and mobilized militias, destabilizing local administrations and threatening to plunge Tigray into civil war.
Openly announced plans to violently remove local administrations in southern Tigray,
raising the specter of renewed internal armed conflict.If this is not met with firm resistance by the AU, the Pretoria Agreement risks becoming a paper promise, unworthy of future emulation in African peacemaking.
4. Our Appeal to the African Union
Your Excellency, we ask that the African Union:
Reject the TPLF faction’s appeal on the grounds of legal, political, and moral non-
compliance.
Publicly reaffirm the integrity of the Pretoria Agreement and reject any entity undermining
it through force, sabotage, or collusion with foreign adversaries. Call upon all signatories and stakeholders to ensure civilian governance, rule of law, the return of IDPs, disarmament, and justice are central to the peace process.
The AU played a pivotal role in facilitating the Pretoria Agreement. It now faces a critical test: to uphold that commitment by rejecting those who would nullify it through violence and illegitimacy.
The people of Tigray-particularly its youth-have paid a high price to see their hope extinguished by a return to totalitarianism.
A peaceful Tigray and Ethiopia is not only possible-it is necessary for the stability of the Horn of Africa.
That future cannot include those who seek power through coercion, collusion, and
contempt for democratic norms, consistent with the principles of a “departing train strategy”.
THE “I CAN’T BE SILENT ABOUT TIGRAY”
Failure to take decisive action against this illegal faction will embolden further lawlessness,guarantee, the making of a new war, and intensify human suffering. Most importantly, it accelerates the complete breakdown of law and order in the Horn of Africa, with far-reaching consequences for regional stability, global trade routes, and international security.
We thank you for your attention to this urgent matter and stand ready to provide any supporting documentation or dialogue your office may require.
Sincerely,
The I Can’t Be Silent About Tigray
Email: cantbesilent4tigray@gmail.com
CC:
• H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
H.E. Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State
• H.E. Workneh Gebeyeh, Executive Secretary of IGAD
H.E. Getachew Reda, Minister Advisor for East African Affairs
H.E. Binalf Andualem Ashene, Ambassador of the FDRE to the USA
H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, Former President of Kenya, Envoy for the Horn of Africa
⚫ H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Former DeputyFaction
ent of South Africa
