A Nation Under Siege from Within and Without: The Urgent Need for Unity, Integrity, and Clarity in the Face of Renewed War.
By Mersea Kidan
In my previous article, “The Danger of Forcing a Choice Under Duress,” I warned against the premature return of displaced Tigrayans to lands still under occupation by the very forces that committed genocide against them. I argued that framing return as a “choice” under such conditions is not only inhumane but politically dangerous; it legitimizes genocidal actors, fractures national unity, and serves Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s agenda of centralization and domination. I made it clear that return must only happen after the full withdrawal of occupying forces, and that justice and dignity, not coercion, must guide the process.
This follow-up is a response to an even more alarming development: the internal corrosion of Tigray’s political fabric. It is a call to resist not just external aggression, but internal decay. Tragically, we are now witnessing a new phase of betrayal—this time from within our own society.
The Rise of Collaborators and the Legacy of Moral Decay
A few Tigrayans, driven by vengeance, ambition, or disillusionment, are now aligning themselves with Abiy Ahmed’s genocidal regime. This shameful collaboration did not emerge from nowhere—it is rooted in the long-standing moral decay within the TPLF. The authoritarianism, corruption, and self-preservation instincts that defined the old guard have now metastasized into new forms of political nihilism.
The faction that splintered from TPLF and retreated to Addis is now exhibiting even worse moral values than the old guard. By collaborating with Abiy Ahmed and openly supporting the reintegration of Tigrayan territory into Shewan centralism, they have become active participants in a plan that seeks the total disintegration of Tigray as a nation. Their actions show a complete disregard for Tigray’s strategic interests, and worse, they lend credibility to the very forces that have sought to destroy our people.
The TPLF leadership in Mekelle, for its part, continues to operate in isolation—politically, morally, and intellectually. It has failed to learn from its own failures. Driven by a desperate need for survival and control, it refuses to open up the political space, engage the wider Tigrayan public, or build meaningful alliances. In this, both factions of the TPLF are united—not in vision or principle, but in narcissism and power-hoarding, with devastating consequences for our people.
A Fractured Elite and the Danger of Bystanders
Today, the Tigrayan elite, whether political, academic, or in the diaspora, appear paralyzed. Some are split along factional lines, while others have chosen the comfort of silence, watching from the sidelines with disappointment and frustration. But in moments of existential danger, silence is complicity.Tigrayans must urgently define core, uniting principles, and rally around them with absolute clarity. We must reject all opportunism and ambiguity. We must be honest about what is non-negotiable if Tigray is to survive as a nation.
Our Non-Negotiables Must Be Clear
1. No Return of IDPs Without Full Withdrawal of Amhara Forces
The return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) can only occur after the full withdrawal of Amhara militias and administrators from Tigrayan land. To return while occupation continues is to normalize ethnic cleansing and subject our people to re-traumatization. As I argued previously, return under occupation is not a solution—it is a trap. It legitimizes the crime, rewards the perpetrators, and abandons the victims. It is a moral and political red line that must not be crossed.
2. Reject the Fragmentation of Tigray into Multiple Administrations
Any attempt to create separate administrations in different Tigrayan territories is a strategic error born of personal vendettas and short-sighted revenge politics. Yes, the TPLF has failed. Yes, it must be reformed or replaced. But allowing the nation of Tigray to disintegrate for the sake of undermining one political faction is self-defeating. We cannot destroy Tigray to punish the TPLF. We must build a united front, not multiple fiefdoms that weaken us further.
Why Is This Agenda Resurfacing Now?
Let us be clear: this renewed push for IDP return and territorial fragmentation is not about justice or humanitarian concern. It is a calculated move by Abiy Ahmed and his collaborators to create a pretext for war.
Abiy is preparing for renewed military aggression against Tigray. His war plan is already in motion, awaiting the end of the rainy season. By framing IDP return as a matter of national order, he is building the propaganda narrative that he is restoring peace, while the Tigrayans are the spoilers. This is not about helping IDPs—it is about weakening Tigray, delegitimizing its institutions, and justifying another campaign of destruction.
Even more tragically, some Tigrayans, blinded by their hatred of the TPLF or hungry for power, are now participating in this plan. Their role in this betrayal must not go unnamed. History will not be kind to collaborators.
What Must the TPLF Do? Reform or Step Aside
The TPLF must also confront the truth. The old way of doing things has failed. The people of Tigray are losing faith. If the TPLF wishes to survive, not just as a party, but as part of a national salvation, it must radically change course.
TPLF must:
- Publicly acknowledge its failures.
- Call for a genuine unity of all nationalist forces.
- Establish a transitional unity government—not by appointing its own cadres, but by truly sharing power.
- Replace the hollow “Forum of Political Parties” with a real Council of National Parties that oversees both governance and defense.
Unity will not come through manipulation or tokenism. It requires humility, openness, and the willingness to relinquish control in the name of national survival.
On the TPLF–PFDJ Alliance: A Tactical Necessity
No conversation about today’s geopolitics is complete without addressing the uneasy alignment between TPLF and Eritrea’s PFDJ. While morally difficult and strategically unsustainable in the long run, this alliance is, for now, a tactical necessity.
PFDJ needs Tigray to balance the power deficit it faces in the likely war with Ethiopia. Tigray, facing imminent threat from Abiy and his forces, needs regional coordination. The alliance is not built on trust or shared values; it is built on the urgent need to survive a common enemy. That does not make it ideal. But at this moment, ideals cannot blind us to the existential threat we face.
See It for What It Is: This Is a War for Tigray’s Survival
If Abiy Ahmed launches another war on Tigray, it will not be about a few TPLF leaders. It will be about erasing Tigray. As he once boasted, he made Mekelle less relevant than Beshasha. His goal is not political reform, it is the total fragmentation of Tigray into powerless, divided territories. If he succeeds, Tigray will be split into three or four zones, and its national identity erased forever. This is not hyperbole. It is our reality. We must understand this clearly: this is a war for the very existence of Tigray as a nation.
What Must Be Done Now: Two Urgent Actions
We must unite around two urgent and non-negotiable demands:
- Unequivocally Reject the Coming War and Its Justifying Narratives
- Say no to any return of IDPs until Amhara forces withdraw.
- Reject any narrative that legitimizes the annexation of Tigrayan land.
- Call out and expose those—both from Addis and within Tigray—who collaborate with this agenda.
- Pressure the TPLF to Abandon Its Old Politics and Build a Real Unity Council
- A new national council must be formed to guide Tigray through this moment of danger.
- This council must be inclusive, empowered, and above partisan control.
- Unity is not optional. It is our only chance for survival.
Conclusion: Rally Around the Essentials, or Perish Divided
Tigray is once again on the brink. The threat is external and internal. The moment demands clarity, courage, and collective action. If we continue down the current path, fractured, distracted, and morally compromised, we will lose Tigray.
But if we rally around the non-negotiables, territorial integrity, the protection of IDPs, national unity, and political reform, we can still rise from this darkness. We can still survive. We can still rebuild. But only if we act now.
Let us not be remembered as the generation that allowed Tigray to fall. Let us be remembered as the generation that saved it.
Mersea Kidan
mersea.kidan@gmail.com
