Addis Abeba — A peaceful demonstration was held at the Baloni Stadium in Mekelle city protesting the recent decision by Ethiopia's House of Federation and the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia. Addressing the rally, Lt. Gen. Tadesse Woreda, President of the Tigray Interim Administration, warned that an issue that should be resolved politically must not be allowed to escalate into armed conflict.
"If this issue which should be resolved politically leads to war, it will endanger not only Tigray but the whole of Ethiopia," he said.
Tadesse argued that the matter at hand is fundamentally political rather than legal. "This decision is not merely a matter for the House of Federation, the Ethiopian Election Board, or the law. It is political, and its solution must also be political," he stated.
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He further said that the handling of questions related to displaced people and Tigray's sovereignty has created divisions that should not have arisen. Referring specifically to the situation in Tselemti, the President said the repatriation process of IDPs at the area was wrongly managed and has resulted in renewed displacement.
"We will try to use all kinds of efforts to solve the problem because if war starts, it will be difficult to stop it. The only option is to follow the peaceful path," he said.
He stressed that forceful measures would not resolve the dispute, calling instead for sustained peaceful engagement. "Peace cannot come just because we say peace," he noted, emphasizing that concrete political efforts are required.
According to Tadesse, the decisions of the federal authorities risk making Tigrayans homeless and further scattering communities. He pledged that the Interim Administration would continue to employ all strategic capacities to address political problems through peaceful means.
Meanwhile, TPLF chairman Debrestion Gebremichael(PhD) warned against what he described as a plot aimed at permanently disintegrating Tigray, calling on the public to remain united in defending the region's interests.
Mekelle Mayor Redai Berhe, who also spoke at the rally, said the demonstration would strengthen the unity of Tigrayans, consolidate national interests, and prevent territorial erosion.
Several political parties operating in Tigray attended the demonstration and strongly condemned the decisions of the federal authorities, describing them as politically motivated and a threat to the sovereignty of Tigray.
The rally, organized under the theme "Fight for National Existence," is part of protests scheduled for today by the Tigray Interim Administration in various cities in the region.
Like Mekelle's, demonstrations also took place in other towns of the region. Massive number of protesters attended in Shire, a town with most number IDPs. In Alamata, one of the districts excluded from Tigray oversight by the House of Federation, large number of protesters gathered to oppose the decision by the House of Federation and the National Election Board.
On Thursday, vehicle parades were held in the northwestern towns of Endabaguna and Shire Endaslas as part of a wider mass demonstration taking place across Tigray.
Protesters carried banners and chanted slogans, including: "The decision of the Ethiopian government is a continuation of the genocide of the people of Tigray" and "the relationship of the people of Amhara and Tigray will shake over genocidal conspiracies."
The protests come amid heightened political tensions over recent House of Federation decisions affecting electoral constituencies of Tigray, with regional officials, parties, CSOs expressing strong opposition.
Opposition parties in Tigray also issued objections. Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty said the decision exceeds the constitutional mandate of the House of Federation, arguing that Article 62 limits its role to constitutional interpretation and dispute resolution, not unilateral administrative restructuring.
Tigray Generation Party also described the decision as a violation of the Pretoria Agreement and warned that no credible elections can be held while large segments of the population remain displaced. It stressed that elections conducted without restoration of pre-war administrative arrangements would lack legitimacy.
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The National Congress for Great Tigray (Baitona) said it had been preparing to participate in the upcoming general elections but warned it would withdraw its candidates if the constituencies are not reinstated under Tigray's recognized regional jurisdiction.
In a separate statement, Salsay Weyane Tigray accused the federal government of failing to restore lawful administration in occupied territories despite repeated calls from displaced residents. The party said the decision "removes constitutionally recognized territories from lawful Tigrayan administration" and represents "a grave and deliberate escalation." It alleged that federal measures in the contested areas have entrenched displacement and heightened inter-communal tensions, calling the move an attempt to formalize exclusion under conditions of occupation.
