Addis Standard
The Deputy President of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration, Amanuel Assefa, has accused the federal government of “using the #Pretoria Peace Agreement to achieve the goals it could not accomplish through war” and warned that the deal is being “exploited” to “fragment Tigray” and “change the region’s demographic composition.”
Amanuel made the comments on 20 June during the closing rally of a three-day peaceful demonstration held at Romanat Square in Mekelle. The protest, which began on 18 June, was organized under the slogan “Let’s not spend the fifth rainy season in tents” by Tsilal Western Tigray Civil Society, and called for the full implementation of the Pretoria Agreement and the immediate return of displaced persons. Delivering a message on behalf of the Interim President, Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, Amanuel claimed the federal government is “exploiting the agreement to make Tigray exist in a fragmented state and to change the demographic composition of the area.”
“Beyond silencing the guns,” he said, “it has so far failed to ensure the security of the Tigray people,” adding that displaced residents are “living in difficulty and suffering, having been stripped of their sovereign territory, displaced from their homes, and driven from their residences.” He stated that the administration would “make every effort to ensure all of Tigray’s interests through peaceful means,” but warned that “if that path fails, it should not be assumed that Tigray’s dignity will remain violated or its sovereignty broken.”