TPLF backs AU mediation as tensions rise in Tigray

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has welcomed the African Union Commission’s recent call for restraint and dialogue in Ethiopia, reiterating its readiness to engage in talks aimed at advancing peace and reconciliation.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the TPLF praised the African Union’s “principled engagement in support of peace and stability,” stressing that dialogue remains the only sustainable way to resolve outstanding issues between the Tigray region and Ethiopia’s federal government.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to the Pretoria Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA), signed in November 2022, which brought an end to two years of devastating conflict in northern Ethiopia.

“The TPLF affirms its readiness to engage constructively in any dialogue initiative facilitated by the African Union, including through the AU High-Level Panel on Ethiopia,” the statement said.

The TPLF expressed hope that renewed AU engagement would help break the current impasse and pledged to take part in what it described as “genuine, inclusive, and results-oriented dialogue” to support the full implementation of the peace agreement.

The statement follows remarks issued on Friday by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who voiced “deep concern” over recent developments in the Tigray region that could undermine the fragile peace process. He called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and underscored the “importance of protecting the hard-won achievements” of the AU-led peace deal signed in Pretoria on November 2, 2022.

“The Chairperson calls upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from actions that could undermine confidence, and resolve all outstanding issues through constructive dialogue, in full adherence to the obligations and spirit of the Permanent COHA,” the AU statement said.

The TPLF’s remarks also come just a day after the European Union issued a separate statement expressing “great concern” over recent military confrontations and clashes in northern Ethiopia, raising fears of renewed conflict.

In a statement released on Friday, the EU stressed that “immediate de-escalation is imperative to prevent a renewed conflict that would have serious consequences for civilians and regional stability.” The bloc reaffirmed the November 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement as the primary framework for resolving disputes through dialogue and said it “stands ready to facilitate this and support confidence-building measures” to ensure the full implementation of the Pretoria Agreement.

These developments come amid reports of growing troop buildups, sporadic clashes, and alleged drone strikes in the Tigray region, heightening concerns about a return to large-scale violence. The region is still struggling to recover from a brutal two-year war that resulted in widespread humanitarian suffering, including mass displacement, famine, and the destruction of critical infrastructure.

Humanitarian organizations have voiced alarm as tens of thousands of people are reported to have fled their homes in anticipation of renewed fighting. For many residents, the deteriorating security situation threatens to reverse the fragile progress achieved since the cessation of hostilities, raising fears of further displacement in a region already scarred by years of conflict.