Ethiopian political ban threatens to destroy Tigray peace deal

Ethiopia’s opposition party The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), has called on the African Union to provide assistance due to the Ethiopian federal government’s decision to revoke its legal status as a legitimate political party. 

According to BBC News, the party was banned from politics by the National Election Board Of Ethiopia on March 14 for failing to hold a general assembly.

The move to ban the party comes ahead of the nationwide elections that are due to be held sometime next year. 

The TPLF condemned the decision, warning that if it stands, it would pose a “serious threat” to the  2022 peace deal that ended fighting between the party and the Ethiopian government. 

The TPLF and the Ethiopian government previously fought against each other in a brutal civil war for control of the Tigray region.

The conflict was devastating, with tens of thousands of people killed and millions forced to flee their homes.

The war ended in November 2022 with a temporary ceasefire, later solidified by the 2023 Pretoria peace agreement.

However this new political ban by the Ethiopian government has sparked fears that, unless the issue is resolved diplomatically, conflict could resume. 

In a statement to the press, Deputy Chairman of the TPLF, Ammuaneul Assef, said that the decision could seriously undermine and “damage the Pretoria agreement” calling it a ”dangerous” move.

The party has also made a public plea for help to the African Union, asking the organization to put “pressure” on the Ethiopian government to restore TPLF’s political status in order to avoid renewed conflict .  

The current political tension in the Tigray region comes amid a series of other crises affecting the region, particularly in healthcare.

As previously reported by Maghrebi, HIV rates and STD transmission in Tigray have risen sharply and are now double what they were before the war.  

The health crisis is attributed to the region’s damaged and overstretched healthcare system, which was severely weakened during the civil war.

BBC News/Maghrebi