The Arena Tigray for Sovereignty and Democracy party has issued a strong call for accountability regarding the crimes committed during the two-year conflict in Northern Ethiopia.
The party emphasized the importance of addressing the atrocities to prevent further disasters, warning that the failure to hold those responsible accountable could pave the way for renewed conflict.
In a recent statement addressing the current political situation in Tigray and other pressing issues, Arena Tigray highlighted the ongoing division within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) as a significant threat to the region.
The party criticized the TPLF’s approach, labeling it as irresponsible and dangerous for Tigray’s future stability.
Arena Tigray’s chairman, Amdom Gebreselasie, expressed concern over the persistent signs of potential conflict, stating, “The paths to war are still visible, and the rhetoric of war continues because accountability for the war over the past two years has not been established.
There is still a desire for conflict as long as the TPLF, Eritrean forces, and the Federal government remain unaccountable.”
The party also pointed out that TPLF leaders have admitted that their internal differences have escalated into conflicts driven by personal and group interests.
Arena Tigray argued that these disputes should be resolved internally within the TPLF, rather than spilling over into broader regional instability.
The conflict in Northern Ethiopia erupted on October 24, 2019, after TPLF militants attacked the Northern Command of the National Defense Forces.
The two-year war resulted in the loss of approximately one million Ethiopian lives, with the Amhara, Afar, and Tigray regions bearing the brunt of the devastation.
Despite the Federal government’s repeated announcements of plans to implement a transitional justice system to compensate war victims and hold perpetrators accountable, these measures have yet to be enacted.
The war was brought to a halt in October 2022, following the signing of a peace agreement in Pretoria, South Africa, brokered by the African Union.
In the aftermath of the conflict, a report from the Ministry of Finance estimated the total damage and losses at over 1.5 trillion birr, with the Tigray region suffering the most severe impacts.
The economic loss from the war is estimated at $28 billion, equivalent to 5.5 percent of Ethiopia’s gross domestic product (GDP). Additionally, over three million Ethiopians have been plunged into poverty due to the conflict.
To address the widespread devastation and restore the country to its pre-war state, an estimated $20 billion is required.
Arena Tigray’s call for accountability underscores the urgency of addressing the root causes of the conflict to prevent a recurrence and to rebuild the nation.
