Addis Abeba — The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) acknowledges confronting substantial internal difficulties, characterizing them as the most arduous encountered throughout its five-decade history.
This information was disclosed following the conclusion of the party's 11-day leadership meeting and evaluation on 16 July, 2024.
According to a statement released yesterday, the TPLF announced its decision to hold a party conference within the coming weeks.
The party leadership underscored the importance of the conference "to save the party from disintegration."
The party leadership reportedly urged relevant parties to participate, emphasizing the urgency of the conference.
The statement also emphasized the TPLF's commitment to the Pretoria Peace Agreement, describing it as "the result of our struggle" and a crucial document for achieving a peaceful resolution.
However, concerns were raised about delays in the agreement's implementation, which were attributed to a lack of unified leadership within the party.
"Our party's central committee acknowledges recent challenges in fulfilling its core mission and leading effectively. These challenges include a lack of democratic practices, regional favoritism, populism, and corruption," the statement noted.
"We have undertaken comprehensive evaluations, critiques, and investigations to identify solutions. We want to assure you of our commitment to reform, including a thorough internal cleansing and necessary adjustments to strengthen our capacity to deliver the fundamental changes our people deserve," the statement emphasized.
According to the TPLF, the assessment identified a core challenge: a struggle between a system focused on personal gain (rent-seeking) and one focused on development.
"This highlights a conflict within the party leadership, with some members resistant to addressing weaknesses identified by the public," the statement added.
The meeting emphasized that the aftermath of the war has resulted in significant losses.
While initial progress has been made regarding the Pretoria Agreement, the party stated that unresolved issues remain. These issues include the delayed return of displaced individuals and the full implementation of Tigray's sovereignty as outlined in the agreement, the statement added.
In a press briefing held earlier this week, Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, Vice President of Tigray's interim administration, clarified that the delay in repatriating internally displaced persons (IDPs) was due to the presence of new settlers and armed groups in the Western Tigray areas.
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He explained that these "unfinished tasks" on the Amhara side caused the delay, despite the Tigray region's full readiness for repatriation.
However, Lieutenant General Tadesse revealed the establishment of a tripartite agreement between the Tigray interim administration, the Amhara regional government, and the federal government. This agreement outlines a more streamlined and secure return process for IDPs to Western Tigray.
Notably, the agreement also stipulates the dismantling of any non-Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) armed groups and the withdrawal of the Amhara administration from these designated areas.
In a recent development reported by Addis Standard, nearly 2,200 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to the Tselemti district in Tigray's North Western Zone.
This repatriation effort follows the successful return of an initial group of 1,500 IDPs to their homes.
