Addis Abeba-Internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Tigray region held a peaceful demonstration in Mekelle on Wednesday, 18 June 2025, calling for an urgent return to their places of origin and urging authorities to ensure they are not forced to spend another rainy season in tents.
Protesters marched under the slogan "Let's not spend the fifth rainy season in tents," expressing frustration over prolonged displacement. Banners displayed during the demonstration carried messages such as "We will not live a fifth rainy season in tent shelters" and "Signatories and implementers of the Pretoria Peace Agreement, return us to our homes peacefully."
According to regional media reports, the demonstration was organized by Tsilal Western Tigray Civil Society, a group working on displacement-related issues in the region. The organization said the protest aimed to "draw attention to the continued displacement of residents affected by the conflict" and to urge "the federal government and the international community, as primary implementers of the peace deal, to ensure the unconditional return of displaced persons."
In a statement issued ahead of the protest, Tsilal said it was "especially organized to create pressure" and noted that demonstrations would take place in both Mekelle and Geneva, Switzerland.
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The group also emphasized that the protest aimed to represent not only IDPs currently residing in camps across Tigray, but also those in refugee camps in neighboring Sudan.
Political parties and civil society groups operating in the region have issued statements expressing support for the demonstration.
The Tigray Independence Party stated that it had been "doing everything possible" to support displaced persons and described their continued displacement as "a great national humiliation."
Salsay Weyane Tigray, another opposition political party, said it "believes the demonstration is correct and should be supported," and called on its members and supporters to take part.
The civil society organization Irob Anina Civil Society (IACS) also expressed its support. It said it had previously worked to raise awareness among U.S. policymakers about the situation of displaced Tigrayans and is now "demonstrating in support of the same cause."
According to the organizers, the demonstration, which began on 18 June, will continue through Thursday, 20 June 2025, in Mekelle and Geneva. Calls have been made for broader public participation.
This is not the first time IDPs have staged protests in Tigray. In January this year, a similar peaceful demonstration took place in Mekelle, where participants called for the return of displaced persons. The protests began on 13 January 2025 and continued for three days across various towns in the region, including Adwa, Axum, Shire, Abi Addi, Adigrat, Sheraro, Alay Koraro, Endabaguna, Addi Daero, Selekleka, and Nebelet.
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During the rally in Mekelle, protesters chanted slogans such as "Return us to our homes," "Give attention to IDPs in Sudan," and "Living in tents is enough." Many IDPs, displaced for years, continue to endure dire conditions, including hunger, lack of medical care, and insufficient humanitarian aid.
