Tigray Peace and Security Bureau defends senior general against accusations by fed. army, calls for implementation of Pretoria Agrmt
Bir. Gen. Migbe Haile. Photo: Screenshot/Gedli Plus
Addis Abeba – Tigray Bureau of Peace and Security condemned what it described as a “coordinated defamation campaign against the Tigrayan people, their institutions, and their leadership” amid a litany of accusations labeled against a Tigrayan top general by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF).
On Friday, the EDNF accused Brigadier General Migbie Haile, a top commander of Tigrayan forces and former long-time senior military official of the ENDF, a litany of alleged offences, including “encouraging and coordinating” the ongoing renewed military attacks by Fano armed groups in the Amhara region mounted against federal and regional forces.
The ENDF also accused Brig. Gen. Migbe of being “a long-time agitator of conflict”, who pushed the people of Tigray into war “despite lacking military expertise” and other allegations offences including attempts to “attack federal forces twice under the pretense of representing Western Tigray,” an area still under the occupation of Amhara and federal forces, “smuggling Tigrayan gold through Eritrea for personal gain,” and “working to disrupt the Pretoria Agreement and dismantle the interim administration in pursuit of political power.”
Bir. Gen. Migbe Haile is among the senior military leaders who, in January 2025, called for the “restructuring and dissolution” of the Tigray Interim Administration, aligning themselves with Debretsion Gebremichael, chairman of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), whose faction has opposed the leadership of Interim Administration led by President Getachew Reda since the party’s 14th Congress in August last year. He was one of the three top military officials recently suspended by Tigray’s interim president Getachew Reda. But the move was rejected by the region’s Peace and Security bureau.
Likening Friday’s accusations to only second to the “propaganda tactics” used in the Rwandan genocide, the Bureau directly cited the allegations made in the ENDF’s statement posted on its social media platforms and dismissed these claims as “misleading and baseless.”
This kind of propaganda “serves no real purpose for those who understand the truth and the legitimate aspirations of the Tigrayan people,” the Bureau and cautioned that such false narratives only hinder peace efforts and undermine the credibility of the Pretoria Agreement. Blaming and “pointing fingers at others for your own problems instead of seeking practical solutions is an irresponsible act” that hinders peace and progress.
“General Migbe and his comrades are committed to their responsibilities with strict discipline, following the principles of the agreement.”
Reaffirming its commitment to peace, the Bureau insisted that General Migbe and his fellow military leaders “remain disciplined and dedicated to upholding the terms of the agreement.”
“The people and army of Tigray have borne the burden of a heavy and complex struggle, enduring without seeking assistance or hesitation, while resisting an agenda aimed at erasing the Tigrayan people from existence. In doing so, they have made history. The Tigrayan army itself is the outcome of this process.”
The Bureau urged for “immediate corrections” to counter the false allegations, and stressed that truthful and accurate information is “essential for sustaining peace and reconciliation” efforts. “One of the fundamental requirements for sustaining peace is truthful and accurate information. Defamation campaigns based on deceit and malice do not contribute to lasting stability,” it stated.
The well-being of the Tigrayan people “can only be secured through peaceful struggle and dialogue” rather than war, the Bureau reaffirmed, adding that Tigrayans “never took up arms to eliminate their adversaries but did so out of necessity to ensure their survival.”
The Bureau also called on the Ethiopian federal government to take immediate action in implementing the Pretoria Peace Agreement. “The federal government, which holds the responsibility and authority, must implement the Pretoria Peace Agreement without delay and take its share of the responsibility to ensure its practical implementation,” the Bureau said.
Among the key points the Bureau stressed were the restoration of Tigray’s constitutional territorial integrity to its pre-war status, the withdrawal of armed forces stationed in Tigray, and the rehabilitation of the war-torn region, and a clear roadmap for the reconstruction of the Tigray region. AS
Crédito: Link de origem