We, the caucus of academics working & residing in Europe, are writing this regrettable letter with great disappointment and dismay. In this letter our sorrow is not targeted at the infamous Ethiopian genocidal government, that held a shame election; but rather at the report purported by the AU delegated observers, led by Kenya’s ex-president, Mr. Uhuru Kenyatte.

We could not fathom, who in their right mind can attest to the sham political-ploy that did not include the major political regions of the empire: Tigray (100%), Amhara (90%) and Oromo (80%), declared as a credible & democratic election? We shall leave the answer to each of your personal conscience.

To put salt on the wound, this week the AU again sent noncredible peace-negotiating deleligates, led by Ex-president of Nigeria, Gen. Oluṣẹgun Ọbasanjọ, whose political history is well know among all African elites (esp. Biafra scholars).

While giving more due credit for US’s envoyee (Mr. Mike Hammer) facilitation and Mr. O. Obasanjoy’s minor contribution into the negotiation process of concluding  “The Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA)” of Pretoria, on 2 Nov. 2022.

 T.A.D.E. members want to express their disappointment in the faltering process of this accord, for the following reasons:

1.  To begin with, the document was signed without nominating nor appointing an implementing party/force/ that would follow up & assure the implementation of the accord. Hence, thereafter, the agreement was not only in limbo for the last four years; but also it has been eroded by the reckless Ethiopian government by: 

                      (a) Denying legal recognition to TPLF,  the counter-signatory/ party/ which is an absurd misdemeanor unheard of on this planet.

                      (b) Contrary to the agreement, building a formidable garrison in all Tigray borders and restricting the mobility of Tigrians altogether.

                      (c) Terrorizing the people by sending drones now & then :  A few incidents  out of the several disaterious ones recorded in our file are :

                          (i) 28 Jan. 2026 Enticho & Gendebta   hitting commercial vehicles loaded with basic food items, killing one driver;

                          (ii) 8 June 2026 dropped during night near Sheraro, killing people doing their normal jobs and destroying vehicles.  

2.  Denying legal recognition to the governing body ofTigray  Region and yet sending various ‘peace’ mediators (such as that of this week)  is another  Col A.A. Ali’s absurd political ploy to this.

3. As per the agreement, nothing has been implemented and nothing is reverted into the anti-status quo of Tigray administrative region:

   (a) Over 3, 000, 000 internal & external IDPs have not been returned to their respective homes & villages; where the death rates from the scattered  & make-shift & tattered tents have risen on a daily basis, often from: starvation, diseases, floods, fire, even from hyena raids;

   (b) The unlawfully occupied territories and farm lands in western Tigray are not returned to the regional administration and legitimate owners.      

3. Blocking banks and draining cash flow from the  Tigray economy jeopardising basic livelihood of pensioners & federal employees: nurses, doctors, teachers, admin-workers.

4.  Bribing & inciting youngsters to abandon Tigray, even by sending empty EAL Boeing planes to Mekelle (all flights recorded for historical documentation). 

5. Creating rifts among the Tigray political elites with financial & religious ploys,  to undermine the social cohesion of the society, even across the whole empire;6. To this very day no legal procedure has not been initiated, internally/externally, that would bring the genociders & gang rapists to the      court of law, even within the country; as Prime Ministerhas not quenched yet in perpetuating the same aerocity across the whole Ethiopia.7.  Since the start of this genocidal war, We/T.A.D.E./ have been receiving all official or otherwise cominiques released from TPLF leadership and other activists.  In all the cominique, written /other formats, none of them portray TPLF purporting war and yet Col. A.A Ali’s  warmongering government perceives & projects to some credulous leaders & there as if TPLF is the belligerent party.    Fortunately, most of the TPLF’s pleas for peaceful negotiation and political settlement have been spread (some of them via our channel) to all concerned members of the international community.  

In the light of all these stark facts and long absence of the negotiating team, we/T.A.D.E./ could not help wondering if they had the comfort of moral ground to come to Mekelle (in a business as usual manner).  We hope that they must have proceed with their formal apology, for their unaccounted long absence, before starting to discuss the main agenda they came for.  We also hope that they have not come with hidden intention, other than to pour olive-oil on the turbulent storm; and in that case they must have laid the ‘olive-leaves’ sent by Col. A.A. Ali  as pre-condition for the dialogue.   We presume if they brought nothing they would return with nothing, as TPLF is once burnt twice shy at this moment.  

For the long term consideration for the delegate and other concerned international community, at this opportunity we/T.A.D.E/ would like to bring to your attention some useful/cardinal facts & figures about the Tigray polity in general:

1.  TPLF  has never been a secessionist party, even from its inception, nor is it now; though this stance is contrary to most Tigrians’ wishes, as they feel they have suffered enough under the  still ongoing genocidal war as well the previous ones (since the destruction of the Axumite Kingdom).

2. Tigray has been the core of the Ethiopian empire and a key player in the country’s polity; and thus we would like to inform all, that Tigray is the anchor state not only for Ethiopia but also for the whole Horn Region

3. When Black people talk proudly of Adwa Victory vs the Italian fascist government, the major fighters were the people & land of Tigray.   

4. Tigray was not only the land of the oldest Christian civilization but also one one that built the first mosque in the world, and by doing so educated the whole of humanity the value of living in harmony, retaining one’s own faith/religion.     

5. Beside its mineral wealth, topographical beauty, rich & galantery history etc  Tigray is open to share all with Africa and beyond. Thus we would like to advise all Africans that Tigray is your closer home than UAE and the other so-called powerful  countries that mess up Africa.  We dare say so based on the facts how & what the Tigray born late PM Melelse Zenawi fought for the development of Africa and demonstrating his ideas on his own country within two decades and the most visible ones are: 

  – raised the number of universities from 2 to 44 and of course hundreds of high schools, numberless primary schools, 

  – built asphalted roads from 3000 to 30,000 Kms long and numberless unpaved feeder rural outlets,

– Increased the number of health infrustructures from few government centres to numberless private hospitals & clinics,

– from two Commercial banks (CBE & AAB) to flourishing 19 separately corporated private financial institution, 

–  Spared the Ethiopian empire from crumbling & Europe from flooding with immigrants by resolving the empire-old saga of nation & nationalities issues, by forming a federal & democratic system.

– The historical dam, GERD, whereby he assured Egyptians & the Sudanese people the continuity of their utilization from the Nile River. etc

– Experisewise, we would like also express our pride in having worldly recognized, several award-winning and accomplished WHO director, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, who is a fine son of Tigray as well is Prof. Zeasenay Alemseged, a highly prominent paleoanthropologist best known for discovering “Lucy’s child” (a remarkably complete 3.3-million-year-old skeleton of an Australopithecus afarensis toddler named Selam) in Dikika, Ethiopia. And many more unsung heroes that presently contribute to Africa’s development or even beyond. Just to cite a few, Dr Zerihum Abebe, CEO of King Faisal Hospital in Rwanda (the biggest health institution in East Africa) and there are also 54 Tigrian medical doctors, whom we know of working in  S & E Africa.  

To minimize the absurd political ploys we noticed this week in Ethiopia, we would like to appeal to our African leaders to question their integrity and review their conscience as well as to speak the truth for power; lest they stain their legacy.  At this historical junction we would like to conclude our plea to African leaders by borrowing golden words from Chinua Achebe: “Things Fall Apart”  eventually and “The Man of The People” will rise, which wisely pre-warn some of our corruptible leaders in the continent.

We want to inform you that, as most of us Tigrina diaspora have been affected, directly/indirectly, by the ongoing genocidal war, we are distributing this letter to all those who are looking after us (such as those listed below) and to all concerned members of the International community. 

Yours regretfully,

TADE,- UK- Branch.

Copy:The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP; Prime Minister of the UK;
The Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, Deputy Prime Minister of the UK;
The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP; Leader of Her Majesty’s Official Opposition;
The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP; Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs;
The Rt Hon Baroness Evans of Bows Park; Leaders of the House of Lords;
H.E. Darren Welch; British Ambassador to Ethiopia;
The Rt Hon Sir Ed Davey MP; Leader of the Liberal Democrats;
The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Basildon; The Shadow Leader of the House of Lords;
The Rt Hon Alicia Alexandra Martha Kearns MP; Chair of Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee;
The Rt Hon Chris Bryant MP; Member of Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee;
The Rt Hon Sarah Champion MP; Chair of International Development Sub-Committee;
The Rt Hon Kate Osamor MP; Member of International Development Sub-Committee;
The Rt Hon Helen Hayes MP; UK House of Commons;
The Rt Hon Fleur Anderson MP; UK House of Commons;
The Rt Hon Paula Barker MP; UK House of Commons;
The RT Hon Harriet Harman MP; UK House of Commons;
The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP; UK House of Commons;
The Rt Hon Lord David Alton of Liverpool; UK House of Lords;
The Rt Hon Lord William Hague of Richmond; UK House of Lords;
The Rt Hon Lord Triesman; UK House of Lords;
The Rt Hon Baroness Kennedy; UK House of Lords;
The Rt Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth; The Lord Bishop of Coventry; UK House of Lords;
The Rt Reverend Justin Welby; The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury; UK House of Lords;
The Rt Reverend Stephen Cottrell; The Lord Archbishop of York; UK House of Lords;
The Rt Reverend Christopher Chessun; The Lord Bishop of Southwark; UK House of Lords;