Toronto – The Interim Tigray Regional Administration / TPLF on Friday announced that it is withdrawing forces from parts of the Raya areas. Gargale and Beklomanekia are the villages from which its forces are withdrawing. It seems that the arrangement was made in consultation with the Abiy Ahmed led Federal government and the Prosperity Party Administration in Amhara region.
Getachew Reda, President of the Interim Administration, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) :
“The Tigray Interim Administration has decided to pull Tigrayan Forces out of Garjale and BaqloManaqia villages near Alamata to honor its understanding with the federal government & Amhara administration to make it easier for Tigrayan IDPs to return as part of the implementation of the Pretoria Agreement. Similar moves to return more Tigrayan IDPs are in the pipeline.”
Initially, there was denial by the Interim Administration that forces were deployed in the Raya areas. The military action in Raya-Alamata was even framed as the work of factions who do not want peace in the region.
On the other hand, Tadesse Worede – “Commander of Tigray Defense Force” and currently the vice-president of the Interim administration in the region – has been bold that the non-Tigray. In his recent press statement, he said there is no such thing as an illegal group.
Last month, the TPLF forces militarily controlled at least four districts in the area violating the Pretoria Agreement. The administration in place was dismantled and more than 36, 000 residents displaced.
The Amhara regional state has not remarked about the latest development in Raya.
Residents in the area have been informing Ethiopian News outlets, like EMS and Ethio News, that the TPLF control of the area was facilitated by the Defense Forces – which was posted in the area when TPLF forces forcefully took control of the districts after a skirmish with local militia forces. However, the Federal government later released a statement saying the TPLF’s action violates the Pretoria Agreement and has to withdraw from the area.
OCHA has been reporting about the humanitarian crisis in the area after the TPLF forces controlled the areas.
