Salsay Weyane Tigray Issues Urgent Appeal Over Imminent War and Voting Legislation

Mekelle, Tigray — February 20, 2026
The political party Salsay Weyane Tigray (SaWeT) has issued an urgent appeal to international and regional bodies, warning of what it describes as an imminent return to full-scale war in the Tigray region. In a letter addressed to the African Union, the United States, IGAD, and Ethiopia’s House of People’s Representatives, the party raised alarm over new legislative proposals and ongoing territorial occupation.

At the center of the party’s concerns is a recent proposal by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) to allow internally displaced persons (IDPs) to vote from within displacement camps. SaWeT denounced the move as discriminatory, arguing that it violates the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) and risks legitimizing ethnic cleansing.

The party stated that elections conducted before IDPs are able to return to their homes would “institutionalize suffering” and provide legal cover for forced demographic changes in Tigray.

SaWeT also highlighted the continued occupation of Western Tigray by federally affiliated forces and the presence of Eritrean troops in the north-eastern and eastern zones. According to the letter, these forces have engaged in “systematic demographic engineering” aimed at erasing Tigrayan identity from the region.

The group urged international monitoring missions to verify the withdrawal of Eritrean and federal forces from all Tigrayan territories.

In addition to condemning federal actions, SaWeT criticized the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), accusing it of using the plight of IDPs and restoration territories as political bargaining chips. The party warned that such maneuvers exacerbate instability and deepen the humanitarian crisis.

Key Demands
The letter outlined three urgent requests to the international community:
➨Pressure on the Ethiopian government to withdraw NEBE’s in-camp voting legislation.

➨Verification of the withdrawal of Eritrean and federally-backed forces from Tigray.

➨Restoration of the Tigray Regional State’s administration to all constitutionally recognized zones.

Lastly, SaWeT’s appeal underscores the fragile state of peace in northern Ethiopia, where unresolved tensions and contested political reforms threaten to reignite conflict. The party’s warning comes amid heightened instability in the Horn of Africa, raising concerns that the Pretoria peace agreement could unravel without decisive international intervention.