The chairman of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Debretsion Gebremichael, has called for stronger people-to-people relations between the peoples of Tigray and Eritrea, emphasizing the importance of rebuilding trust and regional harmony after years of conflict.
Speaking at a memorial event held in Hawzen town to mark the 37th anniversary of the region’s martyrs, Debretsion said that despite political tensions, the people themselves seek peaceful coexistence.
“We will work to ensure that the people-to-people relations developing between Tigray and Eritrea continue to strengthen,” he stated, adding that similar efforts would be made to reach out to neighboring communities including Amhara, Afar, and Sudan.
His remarks come amid reports of renewed cross-border contact between Eritrean and Ethiopian communities in Zalambessa, a town along the Mereb River, where local interactions had been cut off for five years due to the Tigray conflict. This reconnection has been welcomed by many on both sides as a sign of potential grassroots reconciliation.
Concerns Over Peace Agreement Implementation
Debretsion also addressed the unfinished business of the Pretoria Peace Agreement, signed in late 2022 to end the Tigray war. He expressed frustration over what he described as delays in implementation, citing the ongoing displacement of more than one million Tigrayans and unresolved territorial disputes.
“The territorial integrity of Tigray is still not respected,” he said. “We see activities that could collapse the peace agreement altogether.”
The TPLF leader accused the federal government and internal rivals of undermining the peace process and attempting to weaken the party’s influence.
Peace as the Only Way Forward
Also speaking at the event, Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, head of the Tigray Interim Administration, emphasized that the region’s first choice remains peace, even amid political tension.
“The fact that any alternative outside of this is something we enter into by force — not by choice — is a reality that the entire world understands,” he said.
Both leaders urged international partners, including the AU, EU, IGAD, and the United States, to do more to ensure that peace commitments are honored and that the voices of affected communities are heard.
Background
The TPLF, once a dominant force in Ethiopia’s ruling coalition, saw its legal status revoked earlier this year. Despite this, the party remains active in regional politics. Ties between Eritrea and Ethiopia had improved in 2018 after years of hostility but worsened following Eritrea’s involvement in the Tigray war.
As local communities begin to reconnect, Tigray’s leadership is advocating for reconciliation from the ground up, hoping people-to-people ties can pave the way for broader regional peace and stability.