Salsay Weyane Tigray Condemns Government Policies on Western Tigray Displacement

The opposition party Salsay Weyane Tigray has issued a press release denouncing what it describes as deliberate policies by the Ethiopian government that worsen the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Western Tigray.

According to the statement, the government has failed to respond adequately to severe hunger and humanitarian crises affecting IDP camps across Tigray. Beyond neglect, the party alleges that authorities are actively obstructing the sustainable return of displaced communities, in violation of both the Ethiopian Constitution and the Pretoria Peace Agreement.

A key example cited in the release is the issuance of new national identification cards, known as Fayda, to residents of occupied areas in Western Tigray. The cards reportedly omit zonal and regional administrative addresses, which Salsay Weyane argues is a deliberate attempt to legitimize the unlawful incorporation of constitutionally recognized Tigrayan territories into another administration.

The party characterized these measures as the culmination of a broader pattern of crimes amounting to ethnic cleansing, reportedly carried out by government forces and their allies. The statement claims the ultimate objective is to condemn more than one million IDPs and refugees to indefinite confinement in camps, preventing their return to ancestral lands.

“Salsay Weyane reiterates its unequivocal denunciation of these actions as part of its consistent and principled opposition to the Ethiopian government’s unlawful conduct in the occupied areas of Western Tigray,” the press release concluded.

The Pretoria Peace Agreement, signed between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in November 2022, was intended to end the two-year devastating war. Among its provisions were commitments to restore constitutional order, ensure humanitarian access, and facilitate the safe and dignified return of displaced persons. Critics, including Salsay Weyane, argue that the government’s recent actions undermine these commitments and risk prolonging instability in the region.