Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
Tigrayan intellectuals condemn killings in Southern Zone and accuse TPLF of betraying Pretoria peace deal
A group of intellectuals from Mekelle and surrounding areas, originally from the Southern Zone of Tigray, have issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) for “plunging the region into renewed crises” and committing “systematic atrocities” against civilians.
The signatories accuse the TPLF of undermining the Pretoria peace agreement, signed in November 2022, which ended two years of devastating war in northern Ethiopia. Instead of moving towards reconciliation, they claim, the ruling clique has reorganised itself under a so-called “Core Leadership” announced in January this year a move the intellectuals describe as illegitimate and destabilising.
“The TPLF has built an authoritarian network detached from the will of the people. It has infiltrated institutions, destroyed public trust, and empowered loyalists while sidelining genuine civic actors,” the statement reads.
Killings in Mekoni spark outrage
Anger has been mounting in the Southern Zone following the killing of at least six civilians on August 18, 2025 killing with Six casualties Several others were injured.
According to the intellectuals, the entire population of Southern Tigray is now facing repression, harassment, imprisonment, displacement and targeted violence by security forces loyal to the TPLF.
“These atrocities mirror the methods of the Derg regime that once brutalised Tigray. The people of Southern Tigray are paying the price for demanding peace, self-administration and justice,” the statement said.
Calls for accountability and reform
The group outlined ten demands, calling on the Tigray interim administration to:
implement the Pretoria Agreement in full,
hold accountable those responsible for the Mekoni killings,
ensure the safe return of displaced people,
prepare for democratic, representative governance, and
end the repressive actions of the “Core Leadership.”
They also urged the African Union, the United States, and the European Union to support the people of Southern Tigray in their struggle for peace and justice.
“Tigray belongs to its people, not to an elite clique,” the intellectuals declared. “The sacrifices and heroism of the people of Tigray must not be betrayed by those serving factional interests.”
The statement reflects growing divisions inside Tigray, where communities in the Southern Zone have long accused the TPLF of ignoring their calls for autonomy and development.
