Addis Ababa — Three opposition parties in the Tigray region have issued a joint statement urging the public to remain united and neutral amidst the ongoing power struggles within the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) leadership.

The National Congress of Great Tigray (Baytona), Salsay Weyane Tigray, and the Tigray Independence Party appealed to Tigrayans to prioritize regional interests over TPLF infighting, emphasizing the need for unity and neutrality.

This comes in the backdrop of recent remarks made by Tigray Interim President Getachew Reda making TPLF political leadership accountable for widespread corruption, mismanagement, and insecurity in the region.

Getachew openly admitted a breakdown in governance in the region due to lack of cooperation between the interim administration, security forces, and the judiciary, with "internal divisions within the TPLF leadership further exacerbating the crisis."

The three parties also expressed deep concern over the federal government's narrative conflating the TPLF with the entire Tigrayan population, referring to PM Abiy Ahmed recent speech where he laid bare possibilities of relapsing into war if the TPLF fails to register by the electoral board.

The opposition parties urged the PM to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric that could exacerbate tensions within the Tigrayan community while calling on the federal government and the TPLF to resolve their issues without involving the civilian population.