STOP THE WAR DRUMS: AN URGENT CALL FOR PEACE, CIVILIAN PROTECTION, AND DIALOGUE IN TIGRAY

Omna Tigray issues this statement with profound urgency. Tensions between the Ethiopian government and Tigray’s leadership, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Tigray’s Interim Administration, have reached a boiling point, with signs of an imminent full-scale war being declared on the horizon. The people of Tigray — who survived a genocidal war that killed between 600,000 and 800,000 people, displaced millions, and weaponized sexual violence and famine — cannot absorb another catastrophe. We demand that all parties step back from the brink immediately.

WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW

On January 26, fighting broke out in Tselemti in northwestern Tigray, followed by Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) entering Korem and Alamata on January 29. The Ethiopian government cancelled all flights to Tigray. On January 31, Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) drone strikes killed a civilian driver transporting food in Central Tigray. Since February 7, the ENDF has been mass-redeploying forces from Amhara and Oromia toward Tigray. A Western diplomatic source told AFP this week: “The ENDF is encircling Tigray. Such large numbers of troops positioning themselves face to face is not a good sign.” UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has warned that the situation is “highly volatile” and called urgently for de-escalation and dialogue.

THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. THE WORLD SAID NEVER AGAIN.

The intent behind the last war was stated openly. It was genocidal. EU Special Envoy Pekka Haavisto testified to the European Parliament in June 2021 that Ethiopian leaders told him directly they intended to “wipe out the Tigrayans for 100 years.” EU High Representative Borrell condemned “an atrocious war with hunger and sexual violence used as weapons” and demanded accountability. The US State Department formally determined that Eritrean and Amhara forces committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing against Tigrayans. Human Rights Watch warns that all risk factors for atrocity crimes remain present in Ethiopia today — and that no one has been held accountable. Up to 80% of Tigray’s population still requires emergency support. Tigray has never been allowed to recover. A new war would begin on a population that is already struggling to survive.

OUR DEMANDS

To the Ethiopian Federal Government: Immediately halt all military operations and the current troop buildup. Cease eliminationist rhetoric. Honor the 2022 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA, Pretoria Agreement) in full. Ensure unimpeded humanitarian access. Restrain, disarm, and demobilize Amhara and Fano forces in or near Tigray.

To Amhara regional forces and Fano militias: Stand down immediately. Withdraw from all Tigrayan territory. End the occupation of Western Tigray and allow displaced Tigrayans to return home.

To the Government of Eritrea: Withdraw all Eritrean Defense Forces from Tigrayan territory. Cease military buildup on the border. Publicly commit to non-intervention. Engage through the African Union — not through force.

To the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA): The Tigrayan people deserve transparent communication from their civilian government about the security threats they face. Activate emergency response systems. Pre-position emergency supplies and coordinate evacuation plans for vulnerable populations. Publicly advocate to the federal government and international community for de-escalation. Coordinate civilian protection measures with all actors. Ensure continued humanitarian access. Maintain open communication with all parties to prevent miscalculation. The Tigrayan people did not survive genocide to be kept in the dark. TIRA’s duty is to protect and inform the civilians it serves.

To the TPLF and Tigrayan Defense Forces:  The Tigrayan people did not survive a genocidal war to be led into another one. We demand that you publicly commit to a ceasefire and to AU-mediated negotiations immediately — and that you engage directly with international mediators, open communications with the Ethiopian federal government through every available channel, and re-enter the Pretoria Agreement implementation process. Exhaust diplomacy visibly and on the record. The Tigrayan people are not asking for war. They are asking for safety, return, justice, and reconstruction. Be transparent with them about what has been attempted and what has not. Your obligation is to the civilians of Tigray.

To the African Union: Convene emergency talks immediately. Appoint a special envoy. Enforce the CoHA you brokered, including demanding the withdrawal of Eritrean and Amhara forces.

To the United Nations, United States, European Union, and international community: Deploy envoys now. Statements are not enough. Make clear that civilian targeting, weaponized sexual violence, and humanitarian obstruction will have immediate consequences. Restore humanitarian funding. Revive independent human rights monitoring of Ethiopia. Not renewing the mandate of theInternational Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) because of pressure from the Ethiopian government  was a failure that cannot be repeated.

The world was warned before. In 2021, Haavisto delivered that warning in person to the European Parliament. The massacres, the rapes, and the famine came anyway. The Pretoria Agreement was signed over three years ago and never implemented. Hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans are still displaced. There is no more time for statements from those with the power and authority to effect change. We demand peace. We demand dialogue. We demand that Tigrayan lives be treated with the urgency they deserve.

We are watching. We are documenting. We will not be silent.