Salsay Weyane Tigray Condemns Ethiopian Government for Collective Punishment Through Service Restrictions

Salsay Weyane Tigray, a political party active in the region, has accused the Ethiopian government of imposing collective punishment on the people of Tigray by restricting access to essential services amid ongoing political disputes.

In a statement released Monday, the party condemned what it described as the government’s “weaponization of basic services for political ends.” It highlighted several critical shortages, including closed banks due to lack of cash, dwindling medical supplies and equipment, and fuel scarcity that has driven transport costs sharply upward. These measures, the party argued, have made daily life increasingly difficult for Tigrayans.

The party also criticized the government’s failure to address broader political and humanitarian issues, including respect for Ethiopia’s constitutional order and the urgent needs of displaced persons and refugees.

“We urge the Government of Ethiopia to cease this regressive tactic of inflicting unbearable hardship on the general public in an attempt to extract political concessions from its adversaries,” the statement read. Salsay Weyane Tigray further called on international stakeholders to monitor the situation and apply pressure on the government to reverse these measures.

The remarks underscore the deepening rift between Tigrayan political actors and the federal government, as humanitarian concerns in the region continue to mount.