Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
TPLF Military Faction Accused of Betraying Tigray in Explosive Statement by TAHRJI
The Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice International (TAHRJI) has issued a scathing condemnation of what it calls an “illegal and treasonous” military operation launched by a rogue faction of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), warning of an imminent return to war in the region.
In an emergency statement released on July 22, the (Geneva,Mekelle,Washington DC, Brussels, London UK Nairobi Kenya, southAfrica) based rights group accused General Tadesse Worede and a clandestine “Above-the-Core” military elite of launching a coordinated assault on civilian administrations in Raya and Enderta, southern and southeastern Tigray. TAHRJI described the offensive as a “betrayal of historic proportions,” further claiming that it is being carried out in partnership with the Eritrean regime under a covert operation codenamed “ጽምዶ” (Tsimdo).
“This is not just a political crisis it is a direct threat to Tigray’s fragile post-war peace, constitutional order, and the fundamental rights of its people,” read the opening lines of the statement, issued simultaneously from Geneva, Mekelle, Washington, and Nairobi.
An Internal Enemy
The advocacy group underscored the gravity of internal armed aggression, contrasting it with the external genocidal war that ravaged Tigray between 2020 and 2022. “Atrocities are atrocities, whether committed by foreign invaders or domestic conspirators,” TAHRJI warned, emphasizing that a betrayal from within poses the most insidious threat to the region’s recovery.
TAHRJI alleges that the TPLF faction’s actions are aimed at toppling Tigray’s post-conflict reformist administration and reinstating military dominance under the guise of defending Tigray’s interests. The group frames the offensive not as a defensive military necessity but as an “offensive maneuver to hijack Tigray’s civilian administration and sabotage peace.”
The Eritrean Connection
One of the most alarming accusations involves reported collaboration between the rogue TPLF faction and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki’s regime a government widely condemned for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Tigray.
“Under the secretive name ‘ጽምዶ,’ this alignment is designed to plunge Tigray back into destruction, undermine democratic transition, and destroy any possibility of national healing,” TAHRJI stated.
The alleged partnership, if confirmed, would mark a stunning reversal given Eritrea’s role in the devastating war against Tigray an alliance TAHRJI brands as “an act of treason.”
Call for Justice and International Action
TAHRJI’s statement calls on Tigrayans across the globe, civil institutions, and international actors to reject the re-militarization of Tigray’s politics. The group insists that the people of Tigray “demand accountability, stability, development, and peace not a return to the militarized tyranny” of the past.
It issued a direct appeal to:
The Ethiopian Federal Government to uphold constitutional order and protect Tigray’s civilian administration from “military sabotage.”
The U.S., EU, UK, and Canada to condemn the rogue faction’s actions and reaffirm support for the Pretoria Peace Agreement.
The African Union, IGAD, and UN to investigate the crisis urgently and place it on the continental peace and security agenda.
Tigrayan civic and political groups to unite in denouncing “all forms of internal war.”
“Tigray Cannot Survive Another War”
TAHRJI’s statement ends with an emotional plea to avert what it calls a catastrophic internal conflict.
“This is not a political rivalry it is a clear and present danger to the soul, identity, and future of Tigray,” the group emphasized. “Let this be the final warning to those who prioritize power over peace. Let Tigray rise through unity, not internal destruction.”
The organization affirmed that the military faction’s actions violate both the Ethiopian constitution and international law, urging the global community to treat the unfolding situation with the same urgency as previous regional crises.
