The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Ethiopia’s former ruling party, has warned that its recent deregistration by the country’s electoral board poses a serious threat to the fragile peace established by the 2022 Pretoria Agreement. The TPLF, which currently governs the Tigray region under an interim administration, has appealed to the African Union (AU) to intervene and mediate with the federal government.
On Wednesday, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced that the TPLF was formally banned from political activity for failing to hold a general assembly, a key legal requirement for maintaining party registration. The TPLF claims internal division
sexacerbated by post-war instability have prevented it from organizing the assembly, with two rival factions claiming leadership of the party.
The TPLF contends that the ban is politically motivated and undermines the Pretoria Agreement that ended the devastating two-year civil war between the TPLF-led forces and federal troops. The conflict, which began in 2020, claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions across northern Ethiopia.
In a letter to the African Union, the TPLF said the NEBE’s decision denies the party the political rights it had regained through the peace deal. The party insists that the Pretoria Agreement requires all political matters to be addressed through dialogue, not unilateral actions.
TPLF deputy chairman Ammanuel Assefa warned that the move could destabilize the peace process. “This isn’t just about TPLF, but also about undermining what people have sacrificed,” he told the BBC. He stressed that such actions could unravel the progress made since the agreement was signed in November 2022.
The deregistration comes amid growing political tensions in Tigray and ahead of national elections scheduled for mid-2026. Delays in implementing key parts of the peace deal, including the resettlement of over one million displaced people, have already raised fears of renewed violence.
International observers, including the US, UK, and EU, have expressed concern over rising tensions, urging all parties to uphold the peace and avoid a return to conflict.
