Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
SOLIDARITY STATEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL APPEAL
The People’s Triumph Over the Gun: Raya’s Peaceful Defiance Against Homegrown Warlordism
Issued by: Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International
Date: July 27, 2025
For: International Human Rights Organizations | Diplomatic Missions | Tigrayan Civic Society | Media Outlets
I. A HISTORIC MOMENT IN THE RAYA RESISTANCE
In a profound and historic display of collective moral courage, the people of Raya in Southern Tigray Zone have once again demonstrated that the will of the people, rooted in justice, dignity, and peaceful resistance, can overcome the barrel of the gun.
This moment is more than just a local uprising it is the latest and clearest rejection of the TPLF “Above-the-Core” rogue faction and their militarized attempt to reimpose authoritarian control through fear, intimidation, and homegrown warfare.
On July 25, 2025, a highly organized, violent campaign led by senior commanders affiliated with the TPLF’s morally bankrupt “Above-the-Core” clique unleashed a targeted assault on the peaceful communities of Raya. These rogue forces, long detached from the democratic aspirations of the people of Tigray, attempted to seize control of the Raya administrative zone using force and psychological warfare not against an enemy state, but against their own people.
This was not a foreign invasion. This was a homegrown warlord incursion an internal hijacking of power by a failed faction desperate to claw back influence using the machinery of fear and old networks of violence.
II. THE PEOPLE’S VICTORY: PEACEFUL RESISTANCE AGAINST HOMEGROWN TYRANNY
Despite being unarmed, unprepared for warfare, and targeted with brute force, the people of Raya did not yield. Instead, they responded with what no military doctrine can defeat: unity, dignity, and unwavering defiance.
They stood not with weapons, but with moral clarity.
They did not retaliate with bloodshed, but with resolute nonviolent resistance.
They rejected the criminal resurgence of the “Above-the-Core” TPLF command structure not only as a political threat but as a moral stain on Tigray’s future.
Their resistance sends a powerful message: Tigray belongs to its people, not to recycled warlords and political mafias. Raya’s people have drawn a clear line against the internal colonization and militarized rule that the TPLF’s elite seeks to reestablish.
III. A TRAGIC COST: MURDER OF EYOBE KIROSE AND VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS
Amid the brutality of this internal incursion, we mourn the tragic killing of young Eyobe Kirose, the younger brother of Southern Tigray Zone’s Chief Administrator, Haftu Kirose. Eyobe’s life was cut short by forces who claim to defend Tigray while shedding the blood of its innocent sons.
To Haftu Kirose, his family, and the people of Raya, we offer our deepest condolences and enduring solidarity.
Let it be remembered: those who murder civilians in the name of “unity” are enemies of peace.
Let it be known: the people of Raya are not alone. We stand with them unwavering, uncompromising.
IV. CONDEMNATION OF MILITARY VIOLENCE AND WARLORD ABUSES
We strongly and unequivocally condemn the TPLF Above-the-Core military invasion of Raya and its campaign of violence, extortion, and psychological terror.
Especially alarming is the abuse of civilian infrastructure and professionals:
The brutal beating of electricity officers Mr. Asmelash Desta Kestemer and the manager, Mr. Hailemariam Tiumay by Commander Wedi Berhane of Army Unit 43 and his heavily armed escort.
These officers were targeted for performing their duties insisting on lawful payment for electricity. For this, they were abducted, beaten with sticks in the desert, and discarded. This barbarism has no place in a civil society.
These assaults were not isolated incidents. They form part of a wider pattern of rogue militarism, corruption, and extortion. The perpetrators exploited their authority to terrorize civilians, undermine lawful administration, and sabotage the peaceful reconstruction of Tigray.
V. CALL TO ACTION: DEMAND FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION
We, the Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International, demand the following immediate actions:
- An Urgent Independent Public Inquiry
We call on the Tigray Interim Government, under the leadership of General Tadesse Worede, to establish an independent and impartial investigation into:
The murder of Eyobe Kirose and other victims.
The beating and intimidation of civil servants and electricity officers.
The systemic abuses committed by rogue “Above-the-Core” military elements operating outside any legal mandate.
- Accountability of Military Leadership
General Tadesse Worede, as head of the TDF and the current interim authority, must be held accountable for this illegal operation unless immediate and transparent action is taken. The use of military forces to intimidate zonal governments must never be normalized in post-war Tigray. - Protection of Zonal Autonomy and Civilian Populations
The people of Raya and all zones of Tigray must be protected from internal militarized coercion. Zonal governance must be safeguarded from armed interference, and civilian lives must never be collateral damage in factional power struggles.
VI. MESSAGE TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND TIGRAYAN SOCIETY
To the international human rights community, including the UN Human Rights Council, African Union Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and global diplomatic missions:
We urge you to closely monitor the unfolding internal violence and human rights violations in Southern Tigray. Silence and indifference in the face of homegrown warlordism will embolden further atrocities.
To Tigrayan civic organizations and independent media, we call upon you to raise your voices, document the truth, and stand with the people of Raya not with failed factions who seek power at any cost.
VII. FINAL WORD: RAYA STANDS FOR ALL OF US
Raya’s peaceful defiance is not just about Raya it is about the soul of Tigray.
It is about reclaiming a future from the ashes of war, resisting the recycling of authoritarianism, and building a Tigray that belongs to its people not its old masters.
History will record this moment not as an isolated uprising, but as the dawn of Tigray’s civic reawakening.
We, as defenders of human rights and justice, stand firmly and forever with Raya.
Issued by:
Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International
📍 For Immediate Circulation
🛡️ For Global Human Rights Monitoring, Diplomatic Engagement & Community Mobilization
