To: All Diplomatic Missions
        Addis Ababa
Subject: Setting the Record Straight on Getachew Reda’s Misleading Press Conference.                                  Your Excellencies, Ladies, and Gentlemen

At the outset, the Union of Tigrayans in North America (UTNA), a U.S.-based civic organization representing the Tigrayan diaspora, deeply values the international community’s commitment to upholding the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA).

Today, we would like to bring to your attention a matter of urgent and grave concern. On March 14, 2025, Dr. Gedion Timotheos, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray Interim Administration (TIA), jointly held a press conference before
ambassadors, consular officials, and representatives of the international community. The event was riddled with distortions and misleading political propaganda, misrepresenting the realities surrounding the implementation of CoHA.

Your Excellencies

We never expected anything positive from Dr. Gedion Timotheos, as he has been a central figure in enabling and relentlessly advocating for the genocidal atrocities inflicted upon our people. His unwavering commitment to facilitating such horrors is a devastating betrayal that only deepens our collective sorrow.

However, what is particularly distressing is Mr. Getachew Reda’s complete reversal, choosing to align himself with the very forces that have inflicted immense and unimaginable
suffering upon Tigray. UTNA is profoundly heartbroken to witness him not only turn his back on his own people but also actively mislead the international community by falsely claiming that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has obstructed the implementation of the CoHA. The reality, nonetheless, is far more painful—Tigray has honored its commitments under the agreement, including the surrender of medium-range and long-range weapons and the release of
prisoners of war to mention a few.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government of Ethiopia has blatantly failed to honor its promises, offering little more than the restoration of basic social services like telecommunications, banking, and transportation—services that were previously weaponized during the conflict. These social services should never have been withheld in the first place, and they should not be touted as a success of the CoHA.

The federal government’s persistent refusal to implement key provisions of the CoHA—including openly ordering aggressors to withdraw from Tigray, the return of displaced Tigrayans to their homes and the restoration of Tigray’s territories to their pre-war status—reveals a glaring
lack of political will. This obstructionism is not only a blatant violation of the agreement but also a direct cause of the prolonged suffering of millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Furthermore, the failure to enforce the CoHA has been a major driver of divisions within the TPLF and has exacerbated Tigray’s leadership crisis, further destabilizing the situation.

Moreover, while both the TPLF and the federal government are signatories of the CoHA, the federal government has deliberately refused to reinstate the TPLF as a legally operating party, using the Ethiopian Board of Elections as a scapegoat. Instead of honoring its commitments, the
government is actively engaged in a campaign of negative propaganda aimed at obliterating the TPLF’s existence, manipulating Getachew’s team as a mere pawn in its broader strategy.

Your ExcellencieS

The people of Tigray embraced the CoHA from its inception and have consistently sought its full implementation. However, the Ethiopian government has repeatedly employed delay tactics to obstruct progress. The ITA, under the leadership of Mr. Getachew Reda, also failed to take
meaningful action to ensure the return of Tigray’s territories and the safe return of IDPs, with these issues seemingly absent from its priority agenda. Given this reality, it is disheartening to hear Getachew Reda shift blame onto the TPLF to justify his own leadership failures and conceal the
federal government’s sabotage.

Despite repeated assurances from the ITA that it is actively working behind the scenes to raise international awareness and secure support for the implementation of CoHA, there is little to no evidence of such efforts. Instead, the ITA has diverted its focus to an irrelevant agenda that have no bearing on the core provisions of the agreement. Most alarmingly, just last week, Mr. Getachew Reda refused to engage with representatives of the IDPs, further exposing his administration’s indifference and failure to act on urgent humanitarian concerns.

General Tadesse Werede, who is directly responsible for the operational implementation of the CoHA, has confirmed that the return of IDPs to Tselemti District was deliberately sabotaged by the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF). The ENDF failed to dismantle the illegal Amhara    administrative structures as required by the agreement, leaving the returnees subjected to fear, harassment, kidnapping, and re-displacement.

Your Excellencies, Ladies, and Gentlemen

Another unfounded allegation is the supposed collaboration between the TPLF and the Eritrean government. This claim is not only entirely baseless but also dangerously provocative,
fueling further conflict. The TPLF has consistently reiterated its commitment to peaceful political negotiations with all parties, including neighboring regions like Amhara and Afar, as well as Eritrea. It has never viewed war as a solution. Even before war broke out on November 3, 2020, the TPLF called on the international community to intervene and prevent the escalation of the conflict, advocating for diplomatic efforts to avert war. This latest accusation seems to be a desperate attempt to gain support from the federal government in reasserting control over Tigray, likely aimed at preserving Mr. Getachew Reda’s political power.

The UTNA is deeply disheartened by Mr. Getachew Reda’s decision to share a platform with the government official responsible for obstructing the implementation of the CoHA. This troubling juxtaposition raises concerns about both Mr. Getachew’s integrity and the integrity of the process itself. The press conference serves as a continuation of misleading accusations against the TPLF, the very organization that played and continues to play a crucial role in negotiating CoHA and stabilizing the Horn of Africa, as well.

Therefore, whether made willingly or under pressure, Mr. Getachew Reda’s assertions are fundamentally false and misleading, further undermining the hard-won peace efforts aimed at stabilizing Tigray and Ethiopia as a whole. The situation on the ground is already dire and demands
collective efforts to achieve durable peace. Any claims suggesting otherwise are not only unproductive but also harmful. The dissemination of inaccurate and misleading information to conceal the Ethiopian government’s failure to honor its commitments only exacerbates the situation and obstructs the path to lasting peace.

In light of these developments, we strongly urge the international community to take immediate and independent action to verify the realities on the ground. It is crucial that
international observers, organizations, and partners closely monitor the implementation of the CoHA, ensuring that the Ethiopian government is held accountable for its obligations under this agreement. The international community must stand firm in demanding transparency, accountability, and justice for the people of Tigray, as well as for the broader stability of Ethiopia.

We call on global actors, from diplomats to human rights organizations, to not only scrutinize the Ethiopian government’s actions but also to reaffirm their commitment to peace, human rights, and the rule of law. The credibility of the CoHA—and by extension, the peace process itself—rests on the unwavering commitment of all parties to uphold their responsibilities. The international community must ensure that this process is not undermined by deceit or inaction.

We urge the international community to critically evaluate these claims and ensure that the path to peace is founded on truth, transparency, and justice.

           Sincerely,