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Privately owned Tigray Broadcasting Service said on Monday that authorities in the historic city of Aksum barred the media team from covering the annual Hidar Tsion festival, despite the outlet deploying a full crew with broadcasting equipment to report on the event.

In a statement, TBS said it initially contacted the regional tourism bureau head to obtain accreditation to cover the festival, a major Orthodox Christian celebration that attracts hundreds of thousands of worshippers and visitors. The bureau head told the media team that the responsibility for the festival rested with local authorities in Aksum and directed them to seek approval from the city’s Peace and Security Bureau, according to the statement.

However TBS said requests submitted to both the Peace and Security Bureau and the city mayor went unanswered. “We were later informed that the ban was not about a pass badge. We were told, ‘you are not allowed,’” the broadcaster said in its statement.

TBS said its reporters were ultimately forced to remove their microphones and cameras from the stage area and leave the venue. The outlet also alleged that its camera crew were prohibited from using their mobile phones to record and that their devices were searched.

The incident in Aksum comes amid a pattern of intimidation against TBS by local authorities. In June 2025, the broadcaster’s camera crew was arrested in Aksum while reporting on local governance complaints; they were held for several days before being released. A second incident occurred in Mekelle, the regional capital, where the media team was reportedly detained for several hours while covering protests by former Tigray special police members outside the police commission. A third reported case took place on July 27, 2025, when a TBS journalist covering a protest in Wejerat, Southern Tigray, faced unspecified restrictions and harassment.

TBS is a privately owned broadcaster that operates in Tigray, providing news, event coverage, entertainment, interviews and reporting. The outlet has covered social, political, and governance issues in the region, including local protests, public meetings, and community events and has been a platform hosting critical discussions on political developments in Tigray.

Media observers say the ban against TBS TV illustrate a broader challenging and risky environment for journalists in Tigray. Journalists report ongoing challenges in operating independently, citing arrests, intimidation and risks of personal violence.

In a report published in october 21, 2025, the committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said that three years after the war ended, Tigray remains tense and dangerous for journalists, who have been shot at, detained, raided, and swept up in a local power struggle.

“After two years when reporting from Tigray was almost impossible amid war crimes, famine and a lengthy communications shutdowns, covering local news remains risky and challenging.” CPJ reported

Authorities in Aksum were not immediately available to respond to requests for comment, and calls to officials in the Peace and Security Bureau went unanswered

Women’s organizations and human rights defenders in Tigray have issued an urgent call for the international community to strengthen protections for women and girls affected by the war on Tigray, warning that existing mechanisms are insufficient to address the full spectrum of harm.

In a joint press release, the groups highlighted that gendered violence in Tigray extends far beyond sexual assault, encompassing economic devastation, cultural erasure, forced displacement, restricted access to healthcare, educational exclusion, digital exploitation, and long-term psychological trauma.

“Women and girls in Tigray have faced systemic economic destruction, cultural genocide, starvation tactics, educational exclusion, algorithm-driven exposure to sexualized digital content, and trauma requiring specialized medical intervention far beyond the capacity of families or local communities,” the letter said.

The coalition, including local organizations including Empowered Sisterhood Mekelle, GEM Tigray, Yikhono, and the Women with Disabilities Development Association of Tigray and human rights advocates underscored that impunity remains a major challenge.

“The government responsible for genocide remains in power, obstructs accountability processes, controls data collection, restricts media access, and suppresses survivor testimony,” the letter said, describing these actions as structural drivers of continued violence.

The coalition urged governments, United Nations bodies, international courts, donors, researchers, medical professionals, faith and community leaders, media organizations, and global citizens to take action.

Read full letter here:👇🏾

Three years after the war on Tigray officially ended, women and girls continue to face life-threatening risks, including child marriage, sexual exploitation, gender-based violence, trafficking and child labor, according to a new report submitted to the United Nations.

The 64-page submission, prepared by Gender Empowerment Movement Tigray details the widespread post-war devastation, systemic breakdowns and persistent threats to women and children. GEM Tigray urged urgent international intervention to protect vulnerable populations and restore basic social systems.

GEM Tigray warns that small-scale interventions such as awareness campaigns or one-off cash transfers are insufficient to reverse this trend. Instead, it calls for comprehensive, multi-sectoral programs combining education, legal protection, and community-based support.

Tigray People’s Liberation Front set out conditions it says must be fulfilled before hundreds of thousands of internally displaced Tigrayans can return to Western Tigray, accusing the Federal government of failing to fully implement key provisions of the Pretoria agreement.

Speaking at a press briefing in Mekelle on Wednesday, TPLF’s spokesperson, Michaele Asgedom, said the party demands the withdrawal of Amhara forces, dismantling of the administration established by the Amhara government and for the removal of settlers who arrived during thewar. The party also demanded that administration and security in Western Tigray be overseen by the Interim administration and Tigrayan security forces.

The party said it will not accept any repatriation efforts that are carried out unilaterally or without ensuring oversight by the Tigray Interim Administration and the Tigray security forces.

“IDPs will not return while those who committed genocide yesterday remain in the area,” the TPLF spokesperson said. The TPLF criticized what it described as the federal government’s attempts to initiate a limited airlift of Tigrayans into Western Tigray to portray wrong image and claim the starting of IDP repatriation.

During the press briefing the party spokesperson also addressed TPLF’s disputed legal status which the party says was revoked illegally by the national election board, asserting that it was part of a broader effort by the Abiy Ahmed led federal government to marginalize the TPLF politically.

According to the spokesperson, this revocation undermines the spirit and letter of the Pretoria Agreement, which was signed between the TPLF and the Federal government. The party accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration of seeking to sideline the party ahead of upcoming elections. It warned that it will reject attempts by the federal government to hold elections unilaterally or to replace TPLF with allied groups.

“An election in Tigray that does not involve the TPLF will not happen,” The spokesperson said reiterating that restoring TPLF’s legal status is non-negotiable.

Commenting on the recently growing accusations of ties with the Eritrean government, the TPLF denied the accusations that it has been conducting secret negotiations with the Eritrean government to prepare for military action against the federal government. The party called the claims “fabricated lies.”

“There are no official relations or discussions with the Eritrean government,” the spokesperson said. “Any suggestion otherwise is baseless and cannot be proven.”

The party said it merely supports people-to-people relations between communities in Tigray and neighboring Afar, Amhara, Eritrea and Sudan for peaceful coexistence, but stressed this does not amount to political or military coordination. The TPLF also expressed concern over rising tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, warning that any renewed conflict could make Tigray a “center of destruction.” The party called for a peaceful resolution to avoid further destabilization in the already volatile region.

The Tigray Democratic Solidarity Party (SIMRET) accused forces occupying Western Tigray of violating the Pretoria agreement and undermining federal-led efforts to ensure the safe return of internally displaced persons.

In a statement issued late Friday, SIMRET said the forces who were supposed to leave Western Tigray per the Pretoria agreement have continued to engage in hostile actions and issuing inflammatory statements threatening the ongoing process of returning IDPs overseen by senior federal officials.

SIMRET also accused certain ‘religious leaders and scholars,’ whom it said had a role in enabling the displacement of Tigrayans during the war, of continuing to act in ways that violate both the peace process & the constitutional administrative boundaries of the region.

The party criticized the federal government for failing to address the situation, urging it to advance plans for IDP returns, rehabilitation, and broader recovery initiatives.

“These actions risk reversing the progress made in the Federal led people-to-people relations between the two communities” the statement said, calling on all stakeholders to take corrective measures.

In its statement the party emphasized that it has been consistently calling for the full implementation of the Pretoria agreement describing it as a historic milestone intended to address underlying issues based on the constitution. However the Party noted that the Pretoria agreement has so far not achieved its intended results in a timely manner.

“Because of what internal and external spoilers who are not happy about the Pretoria agreement are doing, aside from silencing the guns and reconnecting ties with the Federal government, the agreement could not achieve its intended result timely,” the statement said.

SIMRET pledged that it will stand with the people against those who undermine the constitutional administrative territories of Tigray in violation of the constitution.

The statement follows a military parade and a series of hostile activities carried out in Western Tigray by the Tekeze Zeb, armed militia led by Demeke Zewdu in recent week which heightened an already growing tension and threatening the fragile peace agreement.

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.