Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
Urgent Statement of Concern: Military Escalation and Political Suppression in Southern and Southeastern Tigray
By Habtamu Belaya
A grave and alarming situation is unfolding in Tigray. According to multiple credible reports, a Coordinated military intervention is underway, led by General Yohannes of the Southern Tigray Command, key TPLF hardliners, and the current Tigray Interim Administration (TIA) president, General Tadesse Worede.
This operation targets the regional civilian administrations of southern(Raya)
and southeastern(Wejerat) Tigray and represents a dangerous political and military assault on Tigray’s own people.
We must be clear: this is not a campaign for reform or security-it is a suppression of political diversity and a reassertion of authoritarian rule by force. The use of military power to dislodge civilian leaders are a clear violation of democratic norms and a betrayal of the very principles of self-rule and justice for which countless Tegaru have struggled and sacrificed.
It is unacceptable, unjustifiable, and perilously shortsighted. The hardliners orchestrating this action, including those aligned with the historical apparatus of the TPLF appears intent on crushing emerging voices of reform and inclusive governance. They are reconstituting a failed order through intimidation, coercion, and force rather than public consent.
This is not a peace agenda. This is not reconstruction. This is regression.
Peace can not be reduced to paperwork while
bullets are used to resolve political differences at home. The people of Tigray-especially the youth-must not be sacrificed again for the ambitions of a few
Warlords. The trauma of war is still fresh, the wounds are open, and the desire for peace and justice remains unfulfilled.
To silence dissent and exclude reformist actors through tanks and rifles is to
invite further instability and civil unrest. In the strongest terms, we condemn this internal war being waged by the very institutions that claim to represent us.
We call on:
- All Tegaru-inside and outside Tigray-to speak out now, and the People of Raya, Wejerate, and others who are oppressed by the gangsters.
The Tigray diaspora is to pressure international actors and media to investigate and respond to this
aggression.The diplomatic community and humanitarian organizations demand restraint and respect for civil
governance and human rights in Tigray.
Peace in Tigray can not be achieved through militarized monopolies of power. It requires justice, inclusivity, and a return to people-centered governance. If left unchallenged, this latest development will plunge the region deeper into division and undermine any hope of lasting reconciliation.
We must not be silent. We must not allow Tigray to be consumed by internal wars fueled by
arrogance and authoritarian nostalgia