May 15, 2025 | Mekelle / Tigray
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has issued a formal letter to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, warning that the recent decision by Ethiopia’s electoral board to label the TPLF as an “illegal political party” fundamentally undermines the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement and jeopardizes ongoing peace efforts.
In a strongly worded letter dated May 15, the TPLF criticized the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) for what it described as a “unilateral and politically motivated” move. The group said this action not only violates key provisions of the Pretoria Agreement but also threatens the fragile post-conflict transition in Tigray.
“The Federal Government of Ethiopia has reframed a political issue into a mere administrative matter,” the letter states, “allowing the NEBE to strip the TPLF of its political legitimacy in direct contravention of the Pretoria Agreement.”
The TPLF emphasized that the peace accord—signed in Pretoria in November 2022 to end a devastating two-year war—explicitly guarantees mutual recognition of parties, including the TPLF. Citing Articles 3, 6, 7, and 10 of both the Pretoria Agreement and the African Union Peace and Security Council Protocol, the TPLF accused the federal government of acting in bad faith and evading political dialogue.
Despite repeated calls for constructive political engagement, the TPLF says the federal government has shown no willingness to participate in dialogue. “Instead, it continues to erode the spirit of peace the agreement initially rekindled,” the letter reads.
