The\u00a0 revocation\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Tigray People\u2019s\u00a0 Liberation\u00a0 Front (TPLF)\u2019s legal status as a political party\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 National\u00a0 Electoral Board\u00a0 of\u00a0 Ethiopia\u00a0 (NEBE)\u00a0 this week\u00a0 marks\u00a0 a\u00a0 significant\u00a0 turning point\u00a0 in\u00a0 Ethiopia\u2019s\u00a0 already volatile\u00a0 political\u00a0 landscape.\u00a0 Once a\u00a0 dominant\u00a0 force\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 ruling coalition\u00a0 of\u00a0 Ethiopia\u2019s\u00a0 federal government,\u00a0 the\u00a0 TPLF\u2019s\u00a0 fall\u00a0 from grace,\u00a0 the\u00a0 ensuing\u00a0 conflict,\u00a0 and subsequent\u00a0 peace\u00a0 process\u00a0 have led\u00a0 to\u00a0 this\u00a0 dramatic\u00a0 political move. While some may see TPLF\u2019s deregistration\u00a0 as\u00a0 an\u00a0 attempt\u00a0 by the\u00a0 federal\u00a0 government\u00a0 to\u00a0 assert its\u00a0 control\u00a0 and\u00a0 restore\u00a0 order,\u00a0 the revocation raises serious concerns about\u00a0 the\u00a0 future\u00a0 of\u00a0 political inclusion,\u00a0 national\u00a0 unity,\u00a0 and the\u00a0 implementation\u00a0 of\u00a0 Ethiopia\u2019s fragile peace agreement.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0 November\u00a0 2020,\u00a0 Ethiopia\u2019s northern\u00a0 Tigray\u00a0 region\u00a0 became\u00a0 a battle\u00a0 ground\u00a0 for\u00a0 one\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 most devastating\u00a0 conflicts\u00a0 in\u00a0 Africa\u2019s recent\u00a0 history.\u00a0 The\u00a0 war\u00a0 between the\u00a0 Tigray\u00a0 People\u2019s\u00a0 Liberation Front\u00a0 (TPLF),\u00a0 the\u00a0 federal government\u00a0 in\u00a0 Addis\u00a0 Ababa,\u00a0 and allied regional forces from Amhara and Eritrea led to the catastrophic loss\u00a0 of\u00a0 life,\u00a0 displacement\u00a0 of millions,\u00a0 and\u00a0 widespread humanitarian suffering. Amid this turmoil,\u00a0 the\u00a0 Pretoria\u00a0 Agreement, brokered\u00a0 in\u00a0 November\u00a0 2022 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 African\u00a0 Union,\u00a0 brought hopes\u00a0 of\u00a0 peace,\u00a0 stability,\u00a0 and reconciliation.\u00a0 The\u00a0 Pretoria Agreement,\u00a0 officially\u00a0 known\u00a0 as the\u00a0 Agreement\u00a0 for\u00a0 Lasting\u00a0 Peace through\u00a0 a\u00a0 Permanent\u00a0 Cessation of\u00a0 Hostilities\u00a0 (COHA),\u00a0 was\u00a0 a landmark\u00a0 ceasefire\u00a0 agreement between\u00a0 the\u00a0 federal\u00a0 government and\u00a0 the\u00a0 TPLF,\u00a0 which\u00a0 had\u00a0 been the de facto ruling party in Tigray until\u00a0 the\u00a0 war.\u00a0 The\u00a0 agreement outlined\u00a0 steps\u00a0 for\u00a0 disarmament, the\u00a0 restoration\u00a0 of\u00a0 services, unhindered\u00a0 humanitarian\u00a0 access, and\u00a0 the\u00a0 reintegration\u00a0 of\u00a0 Tigray into\u00a0 Ethiopia\u2019s\u00a0 federal\u00a0 structure. The\u00a0 revival\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 peace\u00a0 process, though\u00a0 fragile,\u00a0 symbolized\u00a0 a commitment\u00a0 to\u00a0 dialogue\u00a0 and reconciliation\u00a0 after\u00a0 years\u00a0 of violent\u00a0 conflict.\u00a0 However,\u00a0 the recent move to revoke the TPLF\u2019s legal\u00a0 status\u00a0 as\u00a0 a\u00a0 political\u00a0 party has\u00a0 introduced\u00a0 new\u00a0 obstacles, threatening to unravel the delicate peace that the agreement sought to establish.<\/p>\n
TPLF has decried the revocation as an act that fundamentally violates the\u00a0 validity\u00a0 and\u00a0 integrity\u00a0 of\u00a0 the Pretoria\u00a0 Agreement,\u00a0 describing NEBE\u2019s decision as a \u201cunilateral\u201d move\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 federal\u00a0 government that\u00a0 recasts\u00a0 an\u00a0 essentially political\u00a0 issue\u00a0 as\u00a0 a\u00a0 technical\u00a0 or administrative\u00a0 issue.\u00a0 The\u00a0 NEBE cited\u00a0 TPLF\u2019s\u00a0 failure\u00a0 to\u00a0 abide by\u00a0 the\u00a0 electoral\u00a0 law\u00a0 of\u00a0 2024\u00a0 that required\u00a0 the\u00a0 latter\u00a0 to\u00a0 re-register as\u00a0 a\u00a0 political\u00a0 party\u00a0 following\u00a0 the Board\u2019s\u00a0 initial\u00a0 decision\u00a0 to\u00a0 de- register\u00a0 it\u00a0 in\u00a0 January\u00a0 2021,\u00a0 to justify\u00a0 its\u00a0 decision.\u00a0 TPLF\u00a0 though vehemently\u00a0 argues\u00a0 that\u00a0 the peace\u00a0 deal\u00a0 imposed\u00a0 on\u00a0 the\u00a0 two sides\u00a0 the\u00a0 duty\u00a0 to\u00a0 recognize\u00a0 each other\u2019s legitimacy, adding the deal reinstates\u00a0 its\u00a0 pre-war\u00a0 legal\u00a0 status de\u00a0 facto,\u00a0 making\u00a0 re-registration\u00a0 a moot point. In recent months both parties have been trading vitriolic accusations,\u00a0 blaming\u00a0 one\u00a0 another of spreading divisive rhetoric and actively\u00a0 sabotaging\u00a0 the\u00a0 fragile peace prevailing in Tigray.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0 revocation\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 TPLF\u2019s legal\u00a0 status\u00a0 as\u00a0 a\u00a0 political\u00a0 party undoubtedly has sweeping political and\u00a0 symbolic\u00a0 consequences.\u00a0 The Pretoria\u00a0 Agreement\u00a0 was\u00a0 a\u00a0 hard- fought compromise, and its success relied on the continued existence of TPLF as a viable political force. Its de-registration thus challenges the very essence of the agreement and leaves it in a limbo, casting serious questions\u00a0 over\u00a0 its\u00a0 sustainability and\u00a0 implementation.\u00a0 It\u00a0 also risks\u00a0 eroding\u00a0 the\u00a0 trust\u00a0 that\u00a0 had been\u00a0 cautiously\u00a0 built\u00a0 during\u00a0 the negotiation\u00a0 process,\u00a0 potentially reigniting\u00a0 conflict\u00a0 in\u00a0 Tigray, where\u00a0 the\u00a0 TPLF\u00a0 still\u00a0 holds significant support. Excluding the TPLF from the political landscape could\u00a0 prompt\u00a0 it\u00a0 to\u00a0 return\u00a0 to violence\u00a0 to\u00a0 achieve\u00a0 its\u00a0 objectives, destabilizing\u00a0 the\u00a0 region\u00a0 and\u00a0 the nation once again and leading to a breakdown of the peace process. On the humanitarian front the sudden disappearance\u00a0 of\u00a0 TPLF\u00a0 from\u00a0 the political\u00a0 scene\u00a0 is\u00a0 likely\u00a0 to\u00a0 create a\u00a0 governance\u00a0 vacuum,\u00a0 hindering the\u00a0 efficient\u00a0 coordination\u00a0 of humanitarian\u00a0 and\u00a0 reconstruction efforts. This would slow down the recovery process for millions of civilians, undermining the goals of the Pretoria Agreement to restore normalcy to the region.<\/p>\n
Going\u00a0 forward\u00a0 several\u00a0 key measures\u00a0 need\u00a0 to\u00a0 be\u00a0 undertaken to\u00a0 avert\u00a0 the\u00a0 destructive\u00a0 impacts that\u00a0 the\u00a0 revocation\u00a0 of\u00a0 TPLF\u2019s legal\u00a0 status\u00a0 could\u00a0 induce.\u00a0 First and\u00a0 foremost,\u00a0 the\u00a0 Ethiopian government\u00a0 and\u00a0 TPLF\u00a0 should display\u00a0 a\u00a0 genuine\u00a0 desire\u00a0 to sit\u00a0 down\u00a0 and\u00a0 thrash\u00a0 out\u00a0 their differences \u00a0as\u00a0 regards\u00a0 the\u00a0 TPLF\u2019s de-registration.\u00a0 This\u00a0 calls\u00a0 for\u00a0 a transparent dialogue facilitated by international\u00a0 actors,\u00a0 particularly the African Union (AU), given the critical role it played in brokering the\u00a0 Pretoria\u00a0 Agreement.\u00a0 Its continued\u00a0 involvement\u00a0 in monitoring\u00a0 the\u00a0 implementation of\u00a0 the\u00a0 agreement\u00a0 will\u00a0 be\u00a0 vital\u00a0 to ensuring\u00a0 that\u00a0 the\u00a0 peace\u00a0 process remains\u00a0 on\u00a0 track.\u00a0 The\u00a0 world\u2019s attention must remain focused on Ethiopia\u00a0 as\u00a0 the\u00a0 success\u00a0 or\u00a0 failure of this process will have profound implications for the entire Horn of Africa region and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The\u00a0 revocation\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Tigray People\u2019s\u00a0 Liberation\u00a0 Front (TPLF)\u2019s legal status as a political party\u00a0 by\u00a0 the\u00a0 National\u00a0 Electoral Board\u00a0 of\u00a0 Ethiopia\u00a0 (NEBE)\u00a0 this week\u00a0 marks\u00a0 a\u00a0 significant\u00a0 turning point\u00a0 in\u00a0 Ethiopia\u2019s\u00a0 already volatile\u00a0 political\u00a0 landscape.\u00a0 Once a\u00a0 dominant\u00a0 force\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 ruling coalition\u00a0 of\u00a0 Ethiopia\u2019s\u00a0 federal government,\u00a0 the\u00a0 TPLF\u2019s\u00a0 fall\u00a0 from grace,\u00a0 the\u00a0 ensuing\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":45211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1934],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-45210","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-editorial"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45210"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45210\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thereporterethiopia.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}