To:                                                                                                          H.E Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State                            H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission                                                                                    H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, High Representative for the Horn of Africa region                                                                                    H.E Uhuru Kenyatta, Peace Envoy to the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region                                                                        H.E Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, AU Panel member of the Ethiopia-Tigray Peace Negotiation                                              H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations                                                                                                  H.E. Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission.

Subject: Your Urgent Action Needed to Prevent the Risk of Renewed War and Urge Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed to Adhere to the CoHA.

Your Excellencies, At the outset, the Union of Tigrayans in North America (UTNA), a US-based civic organization representing the diaspora Tigrayan community, would like to extend its sincere appreciation for your pivotal roles in facilitating the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) in Pretoria on November 2, 2022. This historic agreement ended the catastrophic genocidal war waged against the Tigray region of Ethiopia—one marked by unspeakable atrocities, including brutal extrajudicial executions, mass sexual violence, torture, arbitrary detentions, and the forced displacement of countless civilians.

Today, UTNA urgently brings to your attention a deeply alarming development that blatantly violates the CoHA. The recent actions of PM Abiy Ahmed’s government pose a direct and existential threat to the agreement’s integrity and implementation, dangerously increasing the risk of renewed war with catastrophic consequences.

As you are aware, the people of Tigray, alongside peace-loving communities and the broader international community, welcomed the CoHA as a vital step toward achieving sustainable peace not only in Ethiopia but also in the Horn of Africa. However, in a shocking and unprecedented move, PM Abiy Ahmed posted on his Facebook page, calling on the people of Tigray to nominate their interim President via email. UTNA finds this to be simply a mockery. It is an insult against the established rules, agreements, and norms and has stunned and outraged the people of Tigray. Juts to say specifically about the CoHA, this unilateral action disregards and constitutes a gross violation of Article 10(1) of the agreement which clearly stipulates that the establishment of an interim administration to be conducted through discussions and mutual agreement between the signatory parties—the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the TPLF— including the appointment of the Interim Administration’s President.

Moreover, the PM has deliberately halted fuel supplies to Tigray in a calculated act of economic and humanitarian aggression. This blatant obstruction brazenly violates the CoHA and directly endangers the livelihoods and survival of the Tigrayan people. By cutting off fuel, the government is crippling essential services, including transportation, healthcare, and the distribution of life-saving aid. This systematic deprivation worsens the suffering of an already war-ravaged population and demonstrates a reckless disregard for both the peace agreement and fundamental human rights.

Your Excellencies, This is not the first time that PM Abiy Ahmed has violated the CoHA. Instead of honoring his commitments, PM Abiy Ahmed has systematically worked to undermine the Pretoria Agreement—both in substance and intent, in blatant violation of Article 3(3). Through a well-orchestrated deceptions and relentless campaign of inflammatory and hateful propaganda, Mr. Abiy’s government has used state resources, franchised media outlets, paid propagandists, and political operatives to spread misinformation, distort reality on the ground, and manipulate public perception. By amplifying false narratives through both domestic and international media platforms, he has always sought to erode trust in the agreement, sow discord among Tigrayans, and discredit Tigray’s civil and military leadership.

To make matters infinitely worse, as the people of Tigray and Tigray’s Security Forces continue to honor their commitments and patiently await the full implementation of the CoHA, the UTNA is left shocked and outraged by the PM and his allies’ false and continuous accusations that TPLF is working and conspiring jointly with Eritrea to overthrow his government. Even more alarming, the assets of 42 individuals—former members of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, now serving in the Tigray Security Forces to defend their people from a scheme of annihilation—have been frozen.

Your Excellencies, These calculated efforts by Mr. Abiy Ahmed not only weaken the peace process but also serve as a deliberate tactic to evade accountability. It also is a scheme of subjecting the people to a silent and brutal means which is a continuation of the government’s systematic and organized project to annihilate the people of Tigray.

Yet, more than two years and five months since the signing of the CoHA between the Ethiopian federal government and representatives of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), its intended goal of lasting peace remains unfulfilled due to PM Abiy Ahmed’s deliberate obstruction and refusal to implement its provisions.

The government of Mr. Abiy Ahmed has yet to make an unequivocal call for the full withdrawal of Eritrean and Amhara forces from Tigray. These occupying forces remain deeply entrenched in Tigrayan territories, perpetuating unspeakable crimes against humanity and war crimes with utter impunity across western, northern, northeastern, and southern Tigray. The illegal Amhara administrative structures persist, tightening the grip of oppression and deepening the anguish of millions.

Nearly two million internally displaced Tigrayans remain unable to return to their homes and farms because security remains an unreachable dream. Instead, they are condemned to a life of suffering in makeshift shelters and tattered tents, stripped of dignity, stability, and hope. Even those who have managed to stay in their homes are not spared; they live under constant fear, subjected to mental and physical torment, deprived of even the most basic social and healthcare services. The devastation remains as raw as the wounds inflicted on Tigray’s people—schools lie in ruins, clinics stand abandoned, factories remain crippled, and vital infrastructure is shattered beyond recognition. Tigray continues to bleed, yet the world watches in silence, indifferent to its agony.

Your Excellencies, Despite persistent diplomatic efforts and repeated appeals, Mr. Abiy Ahmed continues to test the patience of the international community, the Tigray Interim Administration, and, most significantly, the people of Tigray—who, despite immense suffering, have refrained from actions that could further 3 destabilize the fragile peace process. The people of Tigray and the TPLF have exercised remarkable patience and caution, choosing to remain committed to the agreement in hopes of securing a just and lasting peace. Their restraint has not been a sign of weakness but a demonstration of their unwavering dedication to stability and the rule of law, even in the face of relentless provocations.

The ongoing campaign of obstruction, deceptions, and utter contempt for the agreement are not merely a flagrant breach of the Pretoria Agreement; they represent a dangerous, calculated political move aimed at sabotaging any possibility for peace in the region. Such behavior is intolerable—it is an outright assault on the very principles of peace, stability, and trust that the CoHA was designed to secure. Such provocative actions not only raise serious concerns about the Ethiopian government’s commitment to a just and lasting resolution but also threaten the fragile peace in the region. The Ethiopian Government has repeatedly failed to honor its commitments under the Pretoria Agreement, instead engaging in belligerent actions that threaten stability.

Therefore, UTNA urgently calls upon the international community to act without delay to ensure full compliance with the CoHA, before the situation deteriorates further into instability. This reckless violation not only undermines the CoHA but also threatens to unravel an already fragile peace, setting a dangerous precedent for future breaches and risking the collapse of hard-won progress toward peace. The potential for renewed tensions and the risk of plunging the region back into turmoil is ever-present.

We demand that the stakeholders of the agreement—the African Union, the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and all other peace-loving international actors—take immediate and concerted action to pressure Prime Minister Abiy to cease provocative actions that jeopardize the accord and fully implement the CoHA.

We implore Your Excellencies to act swiftly and decisively to uphold the principles of the CoHA and ensure its full, unconditional implementation. The world cannot afford another cycle of genocidal war. Preserving this agreement is not only a moral imperative but a strategic necessity to safeguard regional stability, prevent further human suffering, and uphold the rule of law.

Your Excellencies, immediate and resolute action is urgently required to hold the Ethiopian government accountable for its crimes against the people of Tigray. The international community must not stand by while this agreement is undermined. The time for action is now. Thank you for your utmost attention to the matter.

Most Sincerely,