Deepening Concerns Regarding the Future of the Pretoria Agreement Following Recent Parliamentary Remarks

To:
His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres
Secretary-General of the United Nations,
New York
His Excellency H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf
Chairperson, African Union Commission,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Deepening Concerns Regarding the Future of the Pretoria Agreement Following Recent Parliamentary Remarks

Excellency,

It has now been exactly three years since the signing of the Pretoria Agreement - a landmark accord that brought an end to one of Africa's bloodiest conflicts in recent history. While the Agreement initially inspired great hope and optimism for peace, reconciliation, and recovery, it is deeply regrettable that such promise has since waned. The prevailing atmosphere of mistrust and uncertainty stems largely from the non-implementation of key provisions of the Agreement and from what appears to be a diminishing commitment by the federal government to uphold both the letter and spirit of the accord in good faith.

Excellency,

We wish to express our deep concern regarding the statements made by the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, during his appearance before Parliament on 28 October 2025. In his remarks, the Prime Minister stated that he had negotiated not with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) as clearly stipulated in the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) signed in Pretoria on 2 November 2022 - but rather with three of the seven individual negotiators: Lt. Gen. Tsadkan Gebretinsae, Mr Getachew Reda, and Mr. Assefa Abraha. This assertion, particularly in light of the Electoral Board's March 2025 decision to de-register and outlaw the TPLF, carries grave legal and political implications for the integrity of the Pretoria Agreement and the peace process as a whole.

Excellency,

Under well-established principles of international law, a negotiator does not represent himself or herself but acts as a duly authorized agent of the entity or government they represent. The other party engages with that entity, not with the individual negotiators. Once an agreement is validly concluded and consent to be bound is established, international norms and practice require the parties to perform their commitments in good faith. Attempts to associate or dissociate the Pretoria Agreement from specific individuals rather than from the Tigray entity they represented contradict the very spirit and letter of international law governing negotiated settlements and peace agreements between parties to an armed conflict.

Excellency,

It is a matter of public record that the three individuals mentioned by the Prime Minister are currently serving officials within the Government of Ethiopia, one of whom serves as an Advisor to the Prime Minister with the rank of Minister. These individuals, however, neither represent the TPLF the recognized signatory to the Pretoria Agreement - nor embody the legitimate aspirations of the people of Tigray. It is inconsistent with international norms and established negotiation principles for a government to claim that it is engaging in discussions on the implementation of an agreement with its own officials. Such an arrangement, in essence, amounts to negotiating with itself.

The Prime Minister's characterization of the Pretoria Agreement as a personal understanding with select individuals, rather than as a formal accord between the Federal Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray side represented by the TPLF, effectively undermines the Agreement's legal and political foundation. This interpretation, combined with the Electoral Board's unilateral decision to de-register the TPLF, nullifies the recognized counterpart acknowledged by the African Union and the international community during the negotiation and signing of the Agreement. Furthermore, the selective emphasis by the Government on service resumption and humanitarian access, while neglecting core obligations such as the restoration of constitutional order and regional governance in the occupied territories of Tigray, the withdrawal of non-ENDF forces, and the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of internally displaced persons and refugees, represents a serious departure from the comprehensive implementation envisioned in the Agreement and by subsequent AU monitoring mechanisms. The measures highlighted by the Government, though welcome, are not concessions but rather legal and humanitarian obligations under both international humanitarian law and the Pretoria Agreement.

Excellency,

The erosion of trust between the parties is now palpable. Confidence-building and sustainable peace cannot be achieved through unilateral declarations or media narratives, but only through a renewed commitment to inclusive political dialogue as enunciated in the Pretoria Agreement. The stigmatization or delegitimization of one of the signatory parties risks reigniting tensions and reversing the modest gains achieved since the cessation of hostilities.

We therefore respectfully call upon the international community to reaffirm the legal continuity of the Pretoria Agreement and to use its diplomatic influence to encourage the Government of Ethiopia to engage constructively with the Tigray regional authorities. Interpretative or implementation-related differences should be resolved through dialogue, not through unilateral administrative or political actions. Peace in Ethiopia and stability in the Horn of Africa depend on the faithful implementation of the Pretoria Agreement in its entirety. Undermining the accord through reinterpretation or selective application endangers not only Ethiopia's internal cohesion but also the credibility of regional and international peace frameworks.

We urge all facilitators and global partners to uphold the principle that internationally sanctioned agreements such as the Pretoria Agreement bind the signatory entities, not individuals, and that negotiated settlements must be honored in both letter and spirit.

Debretsion Gebremichael PhD
Chairman of Tigray People's Liberation Front

CC:

  • H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, AUC
  • H.E. Ambassador Harold Bundu Saffa, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Sierra Leone to the AU andChairperson of the PSC for May 2025
  • H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of the Republic of Nigeria, AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa and Chair of the High-Level Panel
  • H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, Former President of the Republic of Kenya and Member of the High-Level Panel
  • H.E. Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Former Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa and Member of the High-Level Panel
  • H.E. Annetth Weber, EU Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa
  • H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Director of IGAD
  • H.E. Ervin Massinga, US Ambassador to Ethiopia
  • H.E. Darren Welch, U.K. Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union