Ethiopian opposition accuses federal government of pushing Tigray toward renewed war

The People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP), one of Ethiopia’s longstanding opposition movements, has accused the federal government in Addis Ababa of steering the northern Tigray region toward a fresh conflict. The party said the government is conducting what it described as a propaganda campaign aimed at psychologically preparing public opinion for renewed hostilities.

The allegations come against a backdrop of lingering tensions in Tigray, where a devastating two-year war between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front ended with a cessation of hostilities agreement in November 2022. Since then, the implementation of the peace deal has been uneven, with reports of sporadic violence, disputed disarmament processes, and unresolved questions over the region’s political status and humanitarian conditions.

Allegations of a coordinated narrative

According to the EPRP, the government’s messaging in recent weeks has been deliberately crafted to portray Tigrayans as a threat and to rally domestic support for possible military action. The party warned that such rhetoric risks undermining the fragile calm and reversing the gains of the peace agreement brokered in Pretoria, South Africa.

The opposition grouping urged both domestic and international actors to remain vigilant against what it characterized as escalatory language. It also called on mediators and guarantors of the Pretoria agreement to publicly reaffirm their commitment to the existing framework and to press for full implementation.

Broader political context

Tensions between the federal authorities and Tigrayan political forces have persisted long after the formal end of major combat operations. Disputes over the reintegration of regional security forces, the return of internally displaced people, and the delivery of humanitarian assistance have all complicated the post-war transition. Opposition voices have repeatedly warned that without sustained dialogue and accountability, the underlying drivers of the conflict remain unresolved.

Federal officials have generally maintained that they are committed to peace and to the full implementation of the agreement, while accusing some actors in Tigray of failing to comply with its terms, particularly on disarmament.

A fragile peace under scrutiny

The EPRP’s latest intervention adds to a chorus of warnings from Ethiopian opposition figures and civil society groups who say that inflammatory rhetoric could unravel the fragile peace. Observers note that the political environment ahead of upcoming national elections remains tense, with multiple parties accusing the government of narrowing civic space and limiting political competition.

Whether the government’s messaging amounts to routine political communication or a genuine prelude to renewed confrontation is likely to depend on developments on the ground in Tigray and on the willingness of mediators to intervene early if tensions escalate. For now, the EPRP’s accusation has put the spotlight back on a region still recovering from one of the most destructive conflicts in the country’s recent history.

Source: Africanews — read the original report.