Interim Administration of Tigray-IRA Statement on the Baseless Claims of the Rapid Support Forces-RSF

Interim Administration of Tigray
Tigrai Online 5/6/2024

The Interim Administration of Tigray vehemently denies, and strongly condemns, the baseless claim made by the RSF that "TPLF forces'' were fighting alongside the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in its fight against the former. Apparently designed to shore up international support for its campaign against the SAF by internationalizing the tragic civil war, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, the RSF's allegation that TPLF fighters were taking part in the Sudanese civil war is based on nothing more than a fecund imagination.

First of all, to state the obvious, TPLF is a political party. As such, it has no armed wing, nor does it command an organized militia or some other armed entity. Second, the people of Tigray have a longstanding brotherly relationship with the Sudanese people that has stood the test of time. Indeed, at the beginning of the Tigray war, when tens of thousands of Tigrayans were uprooted from their homes in Western Tigray, they fled to Sudan, knowing that they would find a safe haven there. Despite vexing internal challenges, the Sudanese people and government have done their best to provide aid and protection to tens of thousands of desperate refugees. For these reasons, Tigray has no reason to meddle in the ongoing civil war for it would further harm a country regarded by Tigrayans as their second home.

Furthermore, no one appreciates the destructive consequences of foreign intervention in an internal conflict more than the people of Tigray. Having suffered colossal damage due to the direct and indirect participation of foreign forces in the Tigray war, the people of Tigray know the far-reaching ramifications of foreign interference in the Sudanese conflict. In short, Tigray simply has no reason to engage in a course of action that would further imperil prospects for peace in the Sudan and harm the Sudanese people, who have reliably and commendably provided sanctuary to tens of thousands of desperate Tigrayans.

We urge both sides to refrain from inflammatory statements that contribute to further escalation, and come to the negotiating table to find a political solution to the ongoing tragedy. It is our firm belief that there can be no military solution to fundamentally political problems. Prolonging the fighting in the hope of imposing one's will through forces will only perpetuate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

Finally, with regard to the fate of our refugees and other outstanding issues involving our combatants, we are closely working with the Ethiopian federal government in the context of the full implementation of the Pretoria Agreement.