All posts by : admin

Authorities in Tigray have seized more than 12,000 grams of mercury and over 200 kilograms of cyanide used in illegal gold mining, in what officials describe as part of an effort to curb environmentally destructive, unregulated extraction.

The regional task force established to investigate and combat unlawful mining activities said that 12,998 grams of mercury and 205 kilograms of cyanide were confiscated across Tigray’s gold-producing areas. The announcement was made during a meeting in Axum attended by task force members, interim administration officials, zonal and district officials and community elders.

While authorities reported the chemical seizures, they did not identify the individuals or companies using the toxic substances, nor did they outline any enforcement actions against them.

The task force, established in July, 2024 by the Tigray Interim Administration has previously reported that it has seized over 440 machines from illegal sites in the Northwestern Zone, highlighting the scale of widespread illegal mining activities in Tigray, highlighting how the illegal mining is causing harm on the people, economy, livestocks, and the ecosystem.

On August 06, 2025 a research conducted by Mekelle University also revealed the extensive damage of the unregulated illegal mining in Tigray. According to the study to extract just one tone of gold, miners dig through approximately 140 hectares of land. The same study also found that desert coverage in Tigray expanded dramatically, with vegetation cover dropping from 13.51% to 10.5% within the last two years primarily to illegal mining.

Environmental experts have repeatedly raised alarms about the long-term consequences of environmental degradation caused by the unregulated illegal mining and the use of these hazardous chemicals. They warn that these chemicals like mercury and cyanide not only contaminate soil and waterways, but can also accumulate in the food chain, posing serious health risks to local communities. Experts emphasize that the damage extends beyond immediate ecological impacts, threatening biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and the overall sustainability of Tigray’s natural resources.

During today’s meeting the regional task force highlighted lack of coordination among local authorities, law enforcement agencies to curb illegal mining.

A coalition of Tigrayan women’s rights groups and human rights advocates has issued an open letter of solidarity to the women and girls of Sudan, condemning the escalating violence against civilians and expressing solidarity with the women and girls of Sudan, as reports of mass killings and sexual violence continue to emerge from the country’s worsening civil war. The Open Letter of Solidarity to the Women and Girls of Sudan, signed by 8 Tigrayan organizations and others human rights advocates condemned what they called the “systematic use of weaponized sexual violence, killings, displacement, and destruction of livelihoods” in Sudan.

“We recognize your pain, your strength and your courage,” the letter reads. “What is unfolding in Sudan today is a humanitarian, human rights, and moral catastrophe.”

The Tigrayan organizations called for immediate international action to End hostilities by all parties and protect civilians, especially women and children, Ensure unhindered humanitarian access for lifesaving assistance, Restore and support sexual and reproductive health services, Establish safe shelters, dignity kits, and secure spaces for women and girls and Strengthen local women’s organizations and community-based protection networks as first responders. The letter urged the United Nations Security Council, the Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, the African Union, IGAD, and other regional and international bodies to move beyond “statements of concern” and take “concrete, coordinated action.”

The coalition also criticized the African Union and IGAD for what it called inaction, alleging that regional powers have overlooked armed groups “financed and supported by foreign entities” responsible for killings, sexual violence, and other abuses.

The groups appealed to donors and humanitarian partners to “prioritize funding for women-led organizations” and to ensure that “protection and gender-based violence programming remain integral to the humanitarian response.” They also called on “all global feminist movements, civil society actors, and human rights defenders to break the silence, speak out, mobilize, and act,” adding that “true solidarity is measured not by sympathy, but by action.”

“As Tigrayan women who have witnessed and survived similar horrors of weaponized rape and sexual violence, we affirm our solidarity and shared struggle for justice and dignity. We recognize your pain, your strength, and your courage. We see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.” the letter said

The Tigrayan women’s organization and advocates letter comes as Sudan’s civil war intensifies, with reports of mass atrocities following the Rapid Support Forces’ takeover of El Fasher, the last Sudanese Armed Forces stronghold in North Darfur last week. The seizure has given the paramilitary force de facto control of more than a quarter of the country’s territory after months of siege. Humanitarian agencies report that thousands of civilians were killed or went missing during and after the city’s fall with numerous accounts of executions, mass graves, and widespread sexual violence. Aid groups warn that millions remain trapped without food, medical care, or safe passage.

The U.N. human rights office said hundreds of civilians and unarmed fighters may have been killed during the takeover. The International Committee of the Red Cross have also warned that atrocities in Darfur are echoing those of the early 2000s. “It’s history repeating, and it becomes worse every time a place is taken over by the other party,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric told Reuters.

The United Nations estimates over 30 million people now need urgent humanitarian assistance, among them 9.6 million displaced from their homes and nearly 15 million children caught in a struggle for daily survival. Aid groups warn of looming famine and spreading outbreaks of cholera, dengue, and malaria as infrastructure collapses and access to medical care remains severely limited. More than 260,000 people, 130,000 of whom are children, have been isolated under a siege imposed by the RSF on El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, for more than 16 months, and deprived of access to food, water, and medical care.

The Sudanese army and the RSF have been fighting a war since April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Efforts of peace talks led by Saudi Arabia, the United States, UAE and Egypt have stalled, while regional mediation through IGAD has yielded little progress.

The United Nations , humanitarian organizations and human rights bodies have stressed that without urgent action to halt the conflict and deliver lifesaving aid, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan will continue to deepen, putting millions of civilians at extreme risk.

The European Union and Norway called for renewed political dialogue between the signatories of the Pretoria agreement ahead of upcoming general elections in Ethiopia, marking the third anniversary of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

Signed on November 2, 2022, the CoHA brought an end to a two-years of a deadly war that killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions, and triggered a humanitarian catastrophe that claimed the lives of innocent civilians. While the agreement successfully halted large-scale fighting, efforts to consolidate peace and fully implement the agreement have faced challenges.

In a joint statement, the EU Delegation to Ethiopia, together with the diplomatic missions of its member states and Norway, welcomed progress in restoring basic services, improving humanitarian access, and facilitating the return of some internally displaced persons. They also highlighted the implementation of disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration programs as a commendable step.

However, the statement stressed that political dialogue is critical for lasting peace. “We call for the resumption of political dialogue between the CoHA signatories ahead of the upcoming general elections,” it said, adding that accountability, human rights particularly for women and girls and victim-centred transitional justice are essential for healing and reconciliation.

The CoHA, brokered under African Union, marked a historic step in silencing the guns in Tigray and promised a better future for war ravaged Tigray however three years after the signing of the agreement lasting peace remains elusive in Tigray and tensions between signatories are rising stocking fears of return to war.

A nine-year-old girl has been injured after a hyena attacked her at the 70 Kare camp for internally displaced people in Mekelle, the capital of Tigray.

Kisanet Kahsay Reda, was bitten around 1:20 a.m. on Thursday inside the IDP camp on the outskirts of Mekelle. Camp residents said the hyena bit her before residents rushed to help. Kisanet was taken to hospital for treatment, but further details of her condition remain unknown.

Kisanet and her family were displaced from their home in western Tigray during the war on Tigray which began in late 2020. Her family initially fled to neighbouring Sudan before returning to Ethiopia and settling in Mekelle, hoping for safety and return to their home.

Thursday’s attack is the second in less than a month and part of what residents describe as a worrying new pattern of hyena attacks around the camp. On September 23, one-year-and-four-month-old Naod HaileSelassie was killed by a hyena at the same camp. Naod’s death shocked many across Tigray and drew attention to the increasingly unsafe conditions for people who have spent nearly five years living in the IDP camps. Residents had expressed their concerns about how hyenas have become a persistent threat in the camp. Families say the animals roam freely at night coming close to tents, heightening anxiety among families who already face the hardships of almost five years of displacement.

Following the incident on September 23 local civic society organizations, opposition parties and the regional administration issued a statement mourning the incident and demanding the immediate and full implementation of the Pretoria agreement. The Pretoria Agreement, signed nearly three years ago, was intended to facilitate the withdrawal of non-ENDF and foreign forces in Tigray and facilitate the safe return of displaced Tigrayans and refugees. However, its implementation has been marred by delays and failures, leaving the situation for IDPs dire.

The 70 Kare camp is one of many IDP camps across Tigray that have been home to tens of thousands of Tigrayans forcibly displaced during the conflict. Many agree that the situation at the 70 Kare IDP camp serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to the crisis facing displaced Tigrayans.

The Tigray Interim Administration has passed a new proclamation aimed at addressing the welfare concerns of TDF soldiers, as demonstrations by combatants across Tigray entered its fifth consecutive day.

The new law, approved by the regional cabinet, is said to ensure the benefits and welfare of TDF members. In a statement issued today, the Interim Administration Cabinet said it has fully approved the proposed proclamation that is said to address issues related to basic needs, medical care, a living place, better services in governmental and non-governmental offices, education and training, and other related issues, according to the statement issued by the office of Interim administration’s President.

The Office of the President said the newly passed law has been going through a series of research and consultation phases with stakeholders before its was approved by the cabinet.

The announcement from the Interim administration comes amid widespread demonstrations by TDF soldiers, who have been protesting since Monday in the regional capital, Mekelle and other major towns across Tigray. The soldiers are demanding improved living conditions, higher pay, and stronger welfare support, accusing officials of offering “empty promises” without concrete action.

The protests, which began in Mekelle earlier in the week, have led to road blockades along major routes in Tigray, disrupting traffic and trade. Observers say, the protests reflect growing impatience with the slow pace of the implementation of the Pretoria agreement, slow recovery & reconstruction efforts and the unfulfilled promises of the post-war period.

For the Interim Administration, the approval of the new proclamation may help ease tensions, but many agree that the government’s credibility now depends on swift and visible action.

Despite pledges from the Interim Tigray Administration to address growing discontent among Tigray Defense Forces soldiers, protests and road blockades continued for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, reflecting mounting frustration over what demonstrators describe as “empty promises” and slow action on key welfare issues.

The protests, led primarily by TDF members, began on Monday in Mekelle, where soldiers gathered at the office of the Interim Administration’s president to demand better living conditions and higher pay. Later that day, demonstrators blocked the main road linking the city to the airport, disrupting traffic for the day. Following the protest, Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede met with the soldiers and later announced that the administration had discussed their concerns and pledged to address their demands, after which the protesters returned peacefully to their camps. However, the demonstrations continued the next day, spreading to towns including Freweyni, Agulae, and Sinkata, halting traffic on the Mekelle–Wukro–Adigrat route.

Today marking its third day the road blockades have spread along major roads in Tigray, including the Wukro–Mekelle route, which was again blocked near Agulae after briefly reopening on Tuesday. The Mekelle–Mekhoni–Alamata road has also been closed, further complicating movement in and out of the regional capital.

Protesting soldiers say they are demanding improved living conditions, improved monthly stipends, and better welfare support from the regional administration. Many of the fighters have remained in camps since the 2022 peace agreement, waiting for the implementation of the full implementation of the Pretoria agreement often with low monthly wages.

“We sacrificed everything, but our lives have not improved,” said one TDF member who was part of the Protest in Mekelle. “We are still waiting for promises that never turn into action.”

The soldiers say they have been repeatedly promised by officials to review salary structures and improve support systems, but little has changed on the ground. Several described deteriorating morale, rising frustration, and growing uncertainty about their future. The protesters said they are tired of being told to wait and demanding immediate solutions, not more promises.

The Interim Administration has urged the protesters to lift roadblocks and return to dialogue, saying it is working to address the concerns raised. Officials have expressed regret over the disruptions and stressed that steps are being taken to improve welfare provisions for soldiers.

Senior members of the Tigray Defense Forces have reportedly attempted to mediate and calm the protesters however eyewitness says demonstrators insist they want senior civilian officials to speak directly with them.

The demonstrations highlight broader problems in Tigray’s fragile post-war recovery. Since the 2022 peace deal that ended two years of war on Tigray, hundreds of thousands of TDF members have remained in limbo neither fully demobilised nor integrated into civilian life. Many say they struggle to provide for their families amid rising living costs and scarce job opportunities.

The soldiers’ demands reflect deeper dissatisfaction with the peace agreement implementation, recovery pace and the gap between the rhetoric and lived reality. For many in Tigray, the peace deal ended the fighting but not the hardship, Many say the soldiers’ protests are a symptom of wider frustration with stalled progress.

As protests have expanded, traffic along several key routes has been disrupted, with long queues of vehicles forming on both sides of blocked sections. Truck drivers and traders say they have been forced to wait for very long hours or return to where they came from without completing deliveries. While protesters insist their actions are peaceful, the closures have temporarily affected traffic, trade and aid movement. Today a humanitarian trucks operated by the World Food Programme, were unable to pass through Agulae on Wednesday, according to local sources.

Protesters say the temporary disruptions are necessary to draw attention to what they describe as long-ignored concerns. Many in Tigray agree that the disruptions are minor compared with the struggles they endure daily As of now evening, roads around Agulae and southern Tigray remained blocked, with no breakthrough announced. Talks between protesters, regional officials and leaders of the TDF are expected to happen soon.

For the Interim administration, facing mounting pressure to balance competing demands from demobilised soldiers, teachers, health care workers and other groups with limited resources and fragile institutions. Many say unless the concerns of TDF soldiers are addressed promptly, the protests could deepen tensions and further complicate the already tense situation in Tigray.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front has rejected accusations by Ethiopia’s federal government that it is preparing for renewed war in coordination with Eritrea, as relations between the signatories of the Pretoria agreement deteriorate nearly three years after the peace deal was signed to end one of the 21st centuries deadliest war.

In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres dated Oct. 8, the TPLF accused the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of fabricating stories to divert attention from what it says Federal government’s failure to implement the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement, which ended a two-years of war on Tigray that killed hundreds of thousands and left millions displaced.

“The accusation that the TPLF is preparing for war in concert with Eritrea and other armed groups is entirely unfounded,” the party said in the letter. “Rather than advancing the peace process, such misrepresentations divert attention from the Federal Government’s continued and serious violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.”

The letter from the TPLF came less than a week after Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a similar communication to the U.N., alleging that Eritrean and TPLF forces were forming a military alliance under an initiative known as Tsimdo and were actively preparing for war. The Ethiopian government alleged that the Eritrean government and TPLF were allegedly involved in a recent offensive by the Fano militia aimed at capturing Woldiya, a major town in the Amhara Region. The government claimed that TPLF commanders and fighters participated directly in the operation, with additional skirmishes reported in Raya and Welkait.

“Eritrean and TPLF forces are actively preparing to wage war against Ethiopia,” the ministry of Foreign affairs wrote in its Oct. 2 letter, accusing both of “coordinating activities” and “ Supporting combatants” in the Amhara region. The claim by the Federal government has not been independently verified however the TPLF said the government’s accusations are “a campaign to build a case for yet another war in Tigray on the basis of such unfounded allegations.”

The TPLF accused the Federal government of undermining both the letter and sprit of the Pretoria agreement and working to destabilize Tigray. In its letter the party said “the Federal Government has continued training and arming of militias including the Tekeze Zeb and certain disgruntled Tigrayan youth in Afar and other neighboring areas aimed at destabilizing Tigray.” Warning that “this actions risk reigniting conflict and undermining the fragile peace.”

The TPLF has called for a genuine political dialogue emphasizing that it is the only way out of the current impasse. It also urged the strengthening of the Joint Monitoring, Verification, and Compliance Mechanism, with the necessary independence and access to verify compliance; the withdrawal of all non-ENDF forces from Tigray; the facilitation of the safe and dignified return of IDPs; and the pursuit of accountability for grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

Stalled Peace and Rising Mistrust

The roots of the current tension trace back to the Pretoria Agreement, signed on November 2, 2022, which was meant to end two years of devastating war on Tigray. The agreement promised to restore constitutional order in Tigray, return IDPs and refugees, withdraw foreign troops concurrently with the disarmament of Tigrayan forces, resume humanitarian access, political dialogue accountability and reconstruction. However more than two years later, many of these promises remain unfulfilled. Large portions of Tigray remain under Amhara regional and Eritrean control, despite provisions requiring their withdrawal. Schools, hospitals, and public infrastructure remain in ruins, while nearly one million internally displaced people and tens of thousands of refugees in neighboring Sudan continue to live in makeshift camps with limited food, water, and medical care.

Many sites the structural flaws in the agreement and lack of decisive intervention from the mediators and facilitators as a major reason for its stalled implementation. Nearly three years after the Pretoria Agreement was signed under African Union mediation, the peace it promised remains tenuous while the AU, the broader international community, and other mediators have largely chosen to look away as implementation stalls, tensions escalate, and humanitarian conditions deteriorate.

The AU’s Monitoring, Verification, and Compliance Mission has remained largely symbolic, while global actors like the US, EU and the UN have offered statements but little substantive pressure on either side to comply. The inaction of the African Union and the international community is leaving a dangerous vacuum. Both the federal government and the TPLF are left to act on suspicion, and tensions continue to escalate unchecked and the consequences on the ground are evident. Nearly one million displaced Tigrayans remain in precarious conditions, with limited access to food and medical care and the prospect of Justice, accountability, reconstruction and political dialogue to address underlying issues remains precarious and without meaningful political dialogue or mechanisms to address grievances and both sides are entrenching positions, raising the risk that the fragile peace could collapse into renewed conflict.

Communities Still Healing Brace for Uncertainty

In towns and villages across Tigray, residents say they are anxious about the growing tensions. Many have only begun to recover from the war that ended in late 2022, which left widespread trauma, displacement, and destruction. For ordinary Tigrayans, still bearing the physical and emotional scars of the previous war, the prospect of relapse into conflict is deeply unsettling.

The thought of another outbreak of hostilities intensifies anxiety, undermines fragile recovery efforts, and forces communities to relive horrors they hoped were behind them. For a population already stretched by years of suffering, the return of conflict is not just a political or military concern, it is a personal and existential fear.

Tigray’s interim administration accused armed groups operating in neighboring Afar region under the name “Tigray Peace Force” of attempting to launch an offensive from the Berhale area against Tigrayan forces. In a statement issued yesterday, the administration said the groups it accused of attempting to launch an attack were confronted and blocked by local residents in Afar who refused to allow them to advance and start fighting. It alleged that the fighters opened fire on civilians in Berhale, in the Afar region.

The administration urged the Afar regional government and Ethiopia’s federal authorities to act swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating into a wider problem that could threaten peace. It also said it remained open to dialogue and negotiations, calling on those who had taken up arms to return to Tigray and address the issues through peaceful means.

Wegahta was unable to independently verify the allegations by the Interim administration and our attempts to reach out to the armed groups in Afar have failed. However the situation reflects growing tensions between the Tigray Defence Forces and the recently formed “Tigray Peace Force”, which have been simmering for months. The TPF, made up of former Tigrayan fighters and political figures, rejects the authority of both the TDF and the Tigray Interim Administration, accusing them of serving the TPLF and vowing to remove them from power.

Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of triggering clashes. The first reported confrontation took place on July 3 in Alasa, on the border between Afar and Tigray, when TPF fighters attempted to enter from Afar, according to local officials. Elders and religious leaders intervened to halt the fighting. Additional skirmishes were reported on June 30 and August 9, though details remain contested.

Residents in Tigray are expressing their concern that such confrontations could spill into a wider intra-Tigray conflict that will open doors for outside actors intervention and undermine fragile peace in Tigray.

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front has announced crackdown on media outlets it accuses of undermining “unity and inciting violence.” The warning, delivered without naming specific outlets or presenting evidence, has sparked deep concern among journalists and observers.

At a recent meeting with journalists in Mekelle, Veteran TPLF official Fetlewerk Gebregziabher accused unnamed outlets of “calling for violence” and serving what she described as “the enemies’ agenda.” She warned that the party and the army had agreed to enforce a “zero tolerance” policy against such media.

“Media in Tigray have been drawn into the internal in the party dispute,” she said, branding some unnamed outlets the “mouthpiece of a group that betrayed.”

It remains unclear how the “zero tolerance” policy will be enforced leaving Journalists and medias with heightened uncertainty. Observers express concern that the warning could pave the way for arrests, closures of media outlets, or tighter censorship. Independent media in Tigray have long operated in a climate of intimidation. And recently following the heightened tensions in the political space private media outlets report pressure, face harassment, intimidation and including several incidents of arbitrary arrest.

TPLF, which dominated Ethiopia’s ruling party, EPRDF for nearly three decades, has a history of close control over press freedom. Critics say the party often blurred the line between state-owned outlets and partisan platforms, sidelining alternative voices. For many the latest warning suggests a continuation of that approach.

Tigray’s interim administration president, Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, on Saturday dismissed allegations that the northern Ethiopian region is preparing for a war, amid rising mistrust between the Federal government and the TPLF

“The allegations that we are preparing for war is misleading information,” Tadesse said at the closing session of the Ethiopian Society of Animal Production’s 33rd annual conference, held in Mekelle from Sept. 18-20. “Tigray is working to heal the wounds of the war. The allegations accusing us of preparing for a war are wrong.”

Tadesse urged the federal government officials and all participants of the conference, who he said had witnessed relative peace in Tigray, to challenge what he described as false reports. He also appealed to the Ethiopian Society of Animal Production to support efforts to revive the economy in the war torn Tigray.

The remarks come nearly three years after Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigrayan leaders signed a peace deal in Pretoria that ended the two-year war. Despite the silencing of the guns, underlying political issues remain unresolved, and delays in the full implementation of the agreement have created fresh tension between Addis Ababa and the TPLF. Both sides have traded accusations of bad faith and obstruction. Beyond statements, the rivalry has increasingly spilled into the symbolic realm, with both sides using military parades in recent months to showcase their strength and level new accusations at each other.

Amid this growing distrust many warn that the peace remains fragile and that Ethiopia risks a relapse into conflict if the disputes are not addressed.