Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
The PFDJ regime habit of stealing donkeys
Kleptocratic Invasion: The PFDJ Regime’s Expanding Criminal Occupation and the Unfolding Tragedy in Tigray
A Special Investigative Bulletin by Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review & Tigray Herald
Executive Summary
In a shocking display of kleptocratic militarism and regional lawlessness, the Eritrean regime under the authoritarian rule of Isaias Afwerki commonly referred to as the PFDJ regime has once again violated Ethiopian sovereignty by launching fresh incursions deep into Tigray(Ethiopia) territory.
This time, the regime’s forces brazenly stole over 300 donkeys from Tigrayan farmers and traders near the Aiga Sekera corridor, a rural life line for communities rebuilding after the genocidal war. The stolen donkeys loaded with goods were part of local trade routes used byinnocent civilians misled into resuming commerce in areas wrongly labeled as “peacefully engaged zones.”This grotesque incident is not an isolated theft but a symptom of a systemic, militarized kleptomania that defines the PFDJ’s pattern of behavior throughout the Tigray Genocide and its aftermath.
Under the false banner of “stability” and “peace engagement,” this ongoing criminal looting is enabled by the death pact between two outlawed political enterprises: the Eritrean PFDJ regime and the TPLF faction operating under the shadowy label of “ጽምዶ” (Tsimdo).
Diagnosing Kleptomania as a Political Pathology
The pathological stealing committed by the PFDJ forces exhibits striking parallels with kleptomania, a psychiatric condition classified under impulse-control disorders. Individuals orentities sufering from kleptomania engage in uncontrollable theft not out of economic necessity or tactical rationale but as a compulsive disorder devoid of logic or morality.However, in the context of state behavior, PFDJ’s kleptocratic conduct reflects a militarized formof pathological theft, involving:Looting of infrastructure, farm equipment, livestock, gold, medical supplies, and even furnitureduring the 2020–2022 genocidal campaign.
Systematic occupation and land theft in Irob, Zalambessa, Aiga, and Badme areas that remainillegally occupied today.Disruption of trade corridors, targeting vulnerable Tigrayan civilians and traders seeking to rebuild livelihoods under false pretenses of peace.This abnormal criminal behavior, executed by a state military apparatus, transforms kleptomania from a mental health term into a dangerous ideological instrument of conquest, terror, and humiliation.
Latest Violation: The Aiga–Sekera Donkey Theft
On the night of July 5, 2025, Eritrean military forces launched another targeted operation in the Aiga- Sekera region, stealing 304 donkeys many fully loaded with trade goods from Tigrayanmerchants and farmers. These citizens were lured into these trade routes by misleadingnarratives promoted by PFDJ-aligned misinformation agents and complicit local collaborators.This new escalation is not just theft. It is a gross violation of international law, Ethiopiansovereignty, and basic human dignity. The victims, many of whom belong to rural farmingcommunities, are left devastated, economically shattered, and psychologically traumatized.Their only crime was believing in the illusion of “peace engagement” a concept hijacked byboth the PFDJ and rogue elements within the outlawed TPLF ጽምዶ network.
The “Tsimdo” Conspiracy: A Death Pact of BetrayalThe “ጽምዶ” (Tsimdo) operation represents an unholy alliance a covert mutual survival pact between:
PFDJ’s dying autocracy, obsessed with regional domination and destruction of Tigray’sdemocratic future.TPLF’s rogue faction, which is desperately clinging to political relevance by sabotaging Tigray’sreformist trajectory.
This collusion characterized by betrayal, deceit, and treason has enabled Eritrean forces tocontinue military operations inside Ethiopia with impunity, often under the false pretext of shared“security arrangements.” The so-called Peace Engagement Initiative, spearheaded bydiscredited actors like Berhane Gebregergis, Awel Said, and ideological operatives likeMengherino and Wedi Embeytey, is in fact a diplomatic smoke screen for a larger campaign of reoccupation and sabotage.
Mapping the Latest Invasion Zones
Confirmed areas under fresh Eritrean incursion include:
Aiga
Sekera
Irob Highlands
Surrounding rural trade zones near Zalambessa Eye witness reports confirm that Shaabia units are now operating under cover of night, targeting logistical routes, looting civilian trade convoys, and forcing displacement of farmingcommunities.
The total silence or indirect complicity of certain federal and regional authoritiesonly fuels the perception of a coordinated betrayal of the Tigrayan people.
Demand for Verification & Independent Investigation
We call upon all citizens, journalists, and community leaders in the afected areas to document and verify the facts.
We urge:Independent observers to call family and friends in Irob, Sekera, Aiga, and surrounding areas.
Local administration to issue urgent situational updates.
The Tigray Interim Government, under President Tadese Worede, to launch a full-scale independent inquiry into these ongoing violations free from influence by TPLF remnants or external pressure.
Legal and International Implications
The PFDJ regime’s actions constitute:
Crimes of aggression under Article 8 bis of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Violation of Ethiopia’s territorial integrity under the UN Charter (Article 2.4).Acts of transboundary looting and terror, which are prosecutable under various international humanitarian and criminal laws. We urge the African Union, United Nations, EU, and IGAD to treat this not merely as a border dispute but as part of a larger genocidal continuity designed to destroy Tigray’s sovereignty,economy, and people.
Strategic Recommendations
1. Immediate military and political alert to defend Ethiopia’s sovereignty in Tigray, particularly in Aiga and Irob regions.
2. Dismantling the Tsimdo Conspiracy:
Full exposure and accountability for rogue TPLF actors collaborating with Eritrean forces.
3. Mobilizing diplomatic pressure on the Eritrean regime through the UN Security Council, U.S.State Department, and African Union Peace and Security Council.
4. Asset seizure and sanctions against PFDJ leaders and enablers involved in kleptocratic activities across the Tigray region.
5. Restitution and reparations for all civilians impacted by looting and occupation.
Final Message: Tigray Will Not Be Looted Into Silence
The PFDJ regime’s compulsive theft whether of donkeys, minerals, land, or human lives will not erase the truth. It only strengthens our resolve. We, the people of Tigray and theinternational community that stands for justice, must expose, resist, and dismantle thiskleptocratic occupation.This is not just about donkeys. This is about dignity, sovereignty, and survival.
Prepared and Published By:Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review (HAGR) & Tigray Herald
Contact: editorial@tigrayherald.org
