Ethiopia: PM Abiy Accuses TPLF of Breaching Peace Deal, Calls for Development Over Conflict in Tigray

Addis Abeba — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of failing to respect the peace agreement and diverting federal budget allocations toward militant activities rather than development.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while responding to questions from lawmakers during the second regular session of the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) in the fifth year of its working term, held on 28 October 2025.

Abiy told parliament that his government “does not want more fighting in the Tigray region,” emphasizing that the focus should now be on “developing the country together.”

He asserted that any attempt to overthrow the government by force “will never succeed,” and reiterated his administration’s position that lasting peace in Tigray can only be achieved through disarmament, reform, and cooperation.

“The budget allocated by the federal government, all of it, to the Tigray region is being spent on militants, not on development, and this is not correct,” Abiy said, stressing that Tigray “needs development and should work for it through peaceful means.”

The Prime Minister reminded Pretoria calls dissolution of TPLF’s “illegitimate regional council and administration,” which he said were formed through unlawful elections and the establishment of an inclusive interim administration composed of all political actors, in line with the peace agreement. “However we[the federal government] said we don’t want anything, the said we want Getachew, we said okay. They then fired. They said they want Tadesse, we said okay. We are waiting until he’s fired.”

Outlining key priorities for peace in Tigray, Abiy listed the disarmament of armed groups, restoration of public services, the return of displaced citizens, and adherence to the constitutional principle that he said “only the federal government holds the authority to conduct foreign relations.”

He further accused TPLF of continuing to contraband arms and of engaging in unauthorized foreign relations, actions he said undermine the peace process.

During his address, the Prime Minister also commented on calls for the full implementation of the Pretoria peace agreement, remarking that some of the loudest voices demanding implementation “were not part of the negotiation process.”

“In Pretoria, we negotiated with General Tsadkan, Getachew Reda, Assefa Abreha and others. But the main ones are these — the signatories of the agreement,” Abiy told lawmakers. “When I ask these people, there are things they tell me. But those who were not in Pretoria shout for the implementation of Pretoria. This is when the saying comes: when there is the woman who bore the child, the one who only carried the baby says ‘I am the mother.”‘

Speaking on the legal status of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Prime Minister Abiy said the group can restore its legality by re-registering with the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).

“The TPLF is primarily expected to respect the Election Board, respect the constitution, and hold the proper congress to become a legal party. This is not something difficult,” he stated.

Since May 2025, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has officially revoked the legal status of the TPLF, citing its failure to comply with electoral-law requirements under a “special registration” framework.

The Board contends that, after initially granting the party a provisional recognition under the amended law (Proclamation 1332/2016), the TPLF failed to hold a general assembly within the stipulated timeframe and ignored written warnings.

The TPLF rejects the NEBE decision, arguing that the pre-war legal status it enjoyed is automatically reinstated under the Pretoria Agreement signed 2 November 2022, and that re-registration under NEBE is neither necessary nor appropriate.

News: PM Abiy accuses TPLF of breaching peace deal, misusing federal budget for military

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of failing to respect the peace agreement and diverting federal budget allocations toward militant activities rather than development.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while responding to questions from lawmakers during the second regular session of the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) in the fifth year of its working term, held on 28 October 2025.

Abiy told parliament that his government “does not want more fighting in the Tigray region,” emphasizing that the focus should now be on “developing the country together.”

He asserted that any attempt to overthrow the government by force “will never succeed,” and reiterated his administration’s position that lasting peace in Tigray can only be achieved through disarmament, reform, and cooperation.

“The budget allocated by the federal government, all of it, to the Tigray region is being spent on militants, not on development, and this is not correct,” Abiy said, stressing that Tigray “needs development and should work for it through peaceful means.”

The Prime Minister reminded Pretoria calls dissolution of TPLF’s “illegitimate regional council and administration,” which he said were formed through unlawful elections and the establishment of an inclusive interim administration composed of all political actors, in line with the peace agreement. “However we[the federal government] said we don’t want anything, the said we want Getachew, we said okay. They then fired. They said they want Tadesse, we said okay. We are waiting until he’s fired.”

Outlining key priorities for peace in Tigray, Abiy listed the disarmament of armed groups, restoration of public services, the return of displaced citizens, and adherence to the constitutional principle that he said “only the federal government holds the authority to conduct foreign relations.”

He further accused TPLF of continuing to contraband arms and of engaging in unauthorized foreign relations, actions he said undermine the peace process.

By Addis Standard.