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.