Addis Abeba — Religious leaders of Tigray announced today, February 14, 2024, in Mekele city, that leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have agreed to address their differences through dialogue and have signed a code of conduct to guide the process.
According to Tigray Television, "both parties have drafted and signed a code of conduct to advance the agreement moving forward."
Abune Merha Kristos, Archbishop of the Orthodox Church's Eastern Zone Diocese in Tigray, stated that for the past two months, religious leaders had been making "repeated efforts, both individually and collectively," to encourage dialogue. He added that TPLF leaders have now reached an agreement to "resolve all their issues through discussion."
According to Tigray Television, representatives of the four religious institutions in the region stated that they had "prepared and provided" the leaders with a code of conduct, which was accepted and signed. They added that the leaders agreed with "confidence, believing it will lead us forward and help us understand each other."
The religious leaders called on all parties to "contribute their part" in ensuring the agreement's success. They cautioned media outlets to "refrain from inflaming situations with false propaganda" and instead focus on "issues that strengthen people's unity."
The code of conduct outlines commitments "not to use force to achieve political objectives" and to resolve disputes "through democratic means." They further pledged to "swiftly condemn hate speech" and "prevent intimidation or violence by their members and supporters."
According to the religious leaders, the signatories also agreed that "the mediating body will monitor the implementation of the code of conduct" and ensure that any violations are "corrected transparently and promptly."
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Previously, on November 1, 2024, religious fathers of the Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church reported that they had received a "positive response" to their call for "the two TPLF factions to come together" and commit to dialogue to resolve their differences.
The rift within the TPLF, between factions led by Debretsion Gebremichael and Interim Administration President Getachew Reda, has escalated since the party's 14th Congress.
This internal split previously led to Debretsion's group removing Getachew and others from their roles, while the interim administration under Getachew repeatedly accused Debretsion's faction of attempting to "destabilize" the region through a "coup d'état."
Tensions have risen recently after some senior members of the Tigray military forces made an unprecedented announcement calling for the dissolution and restructuring of the region's interim administration. They expressed support for one faction within the TPLF's political divide, abandoning their previously neutral stance and escalating Tigray's political crisis into a potential military crisis.
