Lieutenant General Tsadkan Gebretensae, former deputy president of Tigray’s interim administration and Ethiopia’s former chief of staff, has denied claims circulating on social media that he has been appointed as a senior advisor to Field Marshal Berhanu Jula, the current chief of staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces.
In a text message to Wegahta Facts responding to a request for clarification, Tsadkan dismissed the reports as false.
“It is common knowledge that myself and the current chief of staff, Field Marshal Berhanu, know each other well and worked together in the past. Hence, we keep in touch. But currently, I have not been appointed as an advisor to him,” Tsadkan said.
No official statement has been issued by the ENDF or any federal authority confirming such an appointment. However, the claim has been widely circulated by Facebook pages, YouTube channels, and other social media accounts.
The rumor emerged amid growing internal tensions within Tigray’s political and military circles, where disinformation and character attacks have become increasingly common. Factional disputes within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the broader TDF have fueled the spread of misleading narratives.
Tsadkan, a central figure in the Tigray armed resistance and a prominent figure in the political landscape in Tigray, has drawn mounting criticism from TPLF loyalists, particularly those aligned with party chairman Debretsion Gebremichael. He has been accused of attempting to undermine the party’s cohesion and leadership, allegations he repeatedly denied.
In Tigray’s post-war political landscape, politically charged rumors, disinformation, and character attacks have become a staple of online discourse, further distorting public understanding in an already polarized environment.