The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has formally accused the Ethiopian federal government of launching drone strikes in the Tigray region and neighboring Afar border areas. The TPLF claims these attacks caused both civilian and security-force casualties and warned that the aggressive action directly violates the spirit and terms of the Pretoria Peace Accord signed in November 2022. This accusation marks the most serious challenge to the fragile ceasefire since its signing, threatening to derail the ongoing political and security normalization process in northern Ethiopia.
The alleged drone strikes targeted areas near the border of Tigray and Afar, regions that were heavily impacted by the two-year civil conflict. The TPLF emphasized that the continuation of such hostilities is “intolerable” and undermines efforts to rebuild trust and stability. The Pretoria Agreement, which formally ended the armed conflict, included explicit provisions for the cessation of hostilities and the protection of civilians. The TPLF’s statement insists that the federal government must immediately cease all aerial attacks and return to the established political dialogue mechanism.While the Ethiopian federal government has not immediately confirmed or denied the specific drone strikes, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense dismissed the TPLF’s claims as “unhelpful propaganda.” The accusations come at a sensitive time, as Ethiopia attempts to finalize debt restructuring negotiations and secure critical foreign investment, both of which rely on the perception of continued peace and stability in the region. The TPLF is using the incident to demand a full accounting of all cease-fire violations and a commitment to implementing all disarmament and security provisions of the peace agreement.
