The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has issued a stark warning that the looming revocation of its legal status by Ethiopia’s electoral board could endanger the fragile Pretoria peace accord signed in 2022, which brought an end to two years of devastating conflict in northern Ethiopia.
In a statement released on April 26, 2025, the TPLF urged both the African Union and international stakeholders to recognize the “serious threat” posed by the National Election Board of Ethiopia’s (NEBE) actions, which it says undermine commitments made under the Pretoria agreement.
NEBE had suspended the TPLF’s political activity in February 2025, citing the group’s failure to meet legal requirements, including holding a general assembly. The board warned that unless corrective measures were taken, the party’s registration would be permanently revoked by mid-May.
The TPLF, however, rejected the suspension outright, arguing that it does not intend to re-register as a new political party. Instead, it insists its legal status should be reinstated as part of the peace implementation process. “We never applied for registration as a new entity,” the party said, maintaining that the Pretoria deal had already restored its standing in principle.
TPLF also accused the federal government of bypassing the agreement by attempting to redefine its status through new electoral board procedures, calling such moves “unilateral” and “outside the framework of the peace accord.”
The group further revealed that it had submitted the issue to the African Union’s mediation panel, which it claims supports reinstating the party’s recognition. However, TPLF criticized the panel for failing to meet and address alleged violations of the deal’s implementation.
The dispute traces back to 2021, when NEBE deregistered the TPLF over its involvement in armed conflict. The ban was accompanied by asset investigations and a directive to redirect any remaining party property to civic initiatives.
While the federal government has since amended electoral laws to allow formerly banned groups to return to politics, TPLF has dismissed the legislation, saying it does not apply to a pre-existing party like itself. “This route may suit new actors such as Fano, but not TPLF,” the statement read.
As the deadline for possible deregistration approaches, the TPLF maintains it will not compromise on what it describes as the Tigrayan people’s struggle for recognition and rights under the Pretoria peace framework.