As the African Union convenes for its annual Summit, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has issued a high-stakes open letter addressed to H.E. João Gonçalves Lourenço, Chairperson of the African Union, and the assembled Heads of State. Highlighting a "critical juncture" for the region, the letter warns of the deteriorating situation in Tigray and the risks of a relapse into conflict due to the incomplete implementation of the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA). Calling for decisive continental leadership, the TPLF urges the AU to move beyond mediation and into active verification, seeking the restoration of constitutional order and a structured political dialogue to ensure a sustainable peace for the people of Ethiopia.
Key Takeaways from the Open Letter:- Urgent Implementation: The TPLF calls for the full, good-faith execution of the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA), noting that key provisions remain unfulfilled.
- Warning of Relapse: The letter warns that renewed military mobilization and economic pressure on civilians threaten to reverse peace gains.
- AU Responsibility: As the "custodian" of the peace process, the African Union is urged to move beyond mediation and activate formal monitoring and verification mechanisms.
- Path to Stability: The TPLF advocates for a structured political dialogue to address the root causes of the conflict, alongside the safe return of displaced populations.
The Office of Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF)
Open Letter to the Chairperson of the African Union and Heads of State and Government
Your Excellency,
H.E. João Gonçalves Lourenço
President of the Republic of Angola
Chairperson of the African Union
Your Excellences, Heads of State and Government,
We write to you at a moment of exceptional consequence for peace, stability, and the credibility of Africa's collective security architecture.
As you convene for the forthcoming African Union Summit, we respectfully but urgently draw your attention to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Tigray and the broader Ethiopian context. Despite the commitments solemnly undertaken under the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA), key provisions remain only partially implemented, while renewed military mobilization, rising tensions, and coercive measures risk reversing the hard-won gains toward peace.
Actions that constrain civilian life - including restrictions on movement, economic pressure, and political exclusion undermine confidence in the peace process and heighten the danger of relapse into conflict. Such dynamics threaten not only local stability but also regional security and the integrity of Africa's conflict-resolution efforts.
The African Union played a central and historic role in facilitating and witnessing the Pretoria peace process. As the continent's principal mediator and custodian of this agreement, the Union carries a clear political and moral responsibility to safeguard its implementation and to help ensure that the commitments made translate into tangible protection and stability for civilians. Peace agreements must remain living instruments. Without visible progress and credible follow-through, confidence erodes and the risks of renewed confrontation increase.
We therefore respectfully urge the Chairperson and all African leaders participating in the Summit to take timely and coordinated action to:
- 1. Publicly reaffirm the binding nature of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and call for its full, immediate, and good-faith implementation by all parties;
- 2. Expedite the activation and strengthening of the AU monitoring, verification, and follow-up mechanisms envisaged under the peace process;
- 3. Support conditions conducive to the restoration of constitutional order, the safe return of displaced populations, and the protection of civilians;
- 4. Encourage the removal of measures that disproportionately affect civilian livelihoods and humanitarian access;
- 5. Take proactive steps to convene and facilitate, without delay, a structured political dialogue between the signatories that addresses the underlying political, security, and governance drivers of the conflict as the only viable pathway to sustainable peace.
This is a critical juncture. Delays or ambiguity risk allowing mistrust to deepen and instability to spread. Conversely, decisive continental leadership at this moment can consolidate peace, reinforce African solutions to African challenges, and prevent further suffering. The present moment calls for clear resolve, principled engagement, and timely action.
We respectfully urge the Summit to act with the urgency the situation demands.
Please accept, Your Excellences, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Respectfully,
ደብረፅዮን ገ/ሚካኤል /ፒ.ኤች.ዲ/
ኣቦ ወንበር ህዝባዊ ወያነ ሓርነት ትግራይ
Debretsion GebreMichael Phd
Chairman of Tigray People's Liberation Front