Ethiopia: Up to 40% of Tigray Still Occupied By External Forces, Ensuring Territorial Integrity a Priority: Interim President

Addis Abeba — President of the Tigray Interim Administration, Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, revealed that approximately 40% of the Tigray region remains under the control of external forces and said that his administration’s top priority is to restore the region’s constitutional territorial integrity and ensure the safe return of displaced Tigrayans.

Speaking during a meeting with Jens Hanefeld, German Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Observer to the African Union, in his office on Monday, President Tadesse underscored the urgency of addressing the territorial and humanitarian crisis in the region, according to his office.

“Forty percent of the Tigray regional state’s territory is under the control of invaders,” he said, according to a statement from his office. “Above all else, the interim administration’s mission is to ensure the region’s territorial boundaries as enshrined in the constitution and to return displaced people to their homes.”

The President also called on the federal government to take responsibility for restoring Tigray’s constitutional boundaries and ensuring the return of its displaced citizens. “The federal government should remove non-defense force armed individuals present in these areas,” he stated.

Describing the situation on the ground, Tadesse admitted that the major concern in Tigray today is the return of its displaced population and the full confirmation of the region’s constitutional territories.

In his discussion with Ambassador Haniefeld, President Tadesse also outlined the administration’s disarmament and reintegration efforts. “The first phase of integrating armed individuals into the community will be completed by September,” he noted. “The second phase will be implemented in parallel with the full return of displaced people to their homes and the confirmation of Tigray’s constitutional territories.”

The President stressed the need for improved relations with the federal government to address the ongoing crisis. “It is better for the interim administration to establish good relations with the federal government to bring about positive change,” he said.

Citing the grave situation in Tselemti area of Western Tigray as an example, Tadese acknowledged the failure of earlier efforts to facilitate the return of displaced residents. “The poor security situation has led to further displacement and suffering,” he said, urging coordinated action before conditions worsen. “We must start working with the federal government as much as possible to help our people, who are forced to live in indescribable conditions, return to their homes before winter.”

In July last year, Addis Standard reported that the first group of 456 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were returned to their villages in the Tselemti district, located in the North Western Zone of the Tigray region, more than 18 months after the signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement in November 2022.

However, subsequent report by Addis Standard showed that months after their initial resettlement, many returnees in these districts were once again displaced as they struggle to survive without the promised support and protection from the government and humanitarian agencies. They were also unable to access essential service including food aid, healthcare, education, and clean water.

Western Tigray, which remains occupied by forces affiliated with Amhara region and the federal governments is where some of the most devastating atrocities were committed during the two-year brutal war in the Tigray region, promoting the US State Department to designate the crimes as “crimes against humanity” compounded by forcible transfer of civilians and ethnic cleansing.