To the Tigray Interim Government, TDF Military Leadership, International Human Rights Organisations, and the Global Community,
We, the undersigned advocates for human rights and justice in Tigray, urgently address you regarding a crisis threatening the future of our land, communities, and heritage. The illegal gold mining activities that have spread from Northwestern Tigray into central zones, particularly Adiet District and the subdistricts of Adi Sawul and Adi Selam, pose an existential threat. We cannot remain silent as our homeland, already devastated by genocide, is now subjected to environmental destruction and ruthless exploitation.
An Environmental and Humanitarian Catastrophe Unfolding
Illegal mining operations, marked by large-scale machinery and toxic chemicals such as mercury, cyanide, and sulphuric acid, have infiltrated our land with devastating impacts. These chemicals, along with explosives, contaminate our soil and water, poisoning the lands that sustain our people. The environmental degradation directly endangers entire communities that rely on these resources for survival, placing Tigray’s biodiversity, soil fertility, and the health of current and future generations in jeopardy.
In regions such as Adiet, Kolla Temben, Naedr, Edaga Arbi, and Enticho, this crisis has escalated with the presence of these toxic substances, exacerbating the suffering of a people already scarred by genocidal violence. Healing and recovery are impossible when the land itself faces environmental annihilation.
An Existential Threat to the Tigrayan People
This exploitation goes beyond environmental damage; it threatens the very survival, identity, and future of the Tigrayan people. Having survived genocide, we now face a new assault: the looting and degradation of our land by those with no regard for human life or dignity. These illegal mining activities are displacing communities, contaminating water sources, and destroying farmland, contributing to the systematic erasure of Tigray’s people, culture, and history. This is not only a violation of environmental rights but a direct attack on the resilience and survival of the Tigrayan people.
Human Rights Abuses and Crimes Against Humanity
We possess satellite imagery, eyewitness testimony, and data from international human rights organisations, all of which confirm these atrocities. The devastation extends beyond environmental impacts, fuelling human rights abuses and reopening wounds inflicted by past atrocities. The actions in Tigray are crimes against humanity, and those responsible—whether corporate interests, foreign collaborators, or political figures—must be held accountable under international law. Especially disturbing is the involvement of multinational corporations from nations like China and Nigeria, which exploit Tigray’s natural resources while disregarding human rights and environmental standards. These activities are reportedly enabled by certain powerful figures, including TPLF political leaders. This exploitation cannot, and must not, continue.
An Urgent Call for Immediate Action
To the Tigray Interim Government and TDF Military Leadership: We urge you to act immediately to end this illegal mining. Protect the people you represent by halting the catastrophic destruction of our homeland. Ensure that all foreign and local entities involved in this illegal extraction are expelled from Tigray and held accountable.
To Tigrayan media, civic organisations, and advocacy groups: Raise your voices in condemnation. The world must know that Tigrayans seek peace, recovery, and healing—not exploitation and annihilation. Let us amplify the cries for justice and environmental protection.
To International Human Rights and Environmental Organisations: We urge you to investigate and monitor these atrocities with diligence. The Tigrayan people need your support to demand accountability and expose the actors behind this devastation. We need the backing of international environmental bodies to press for an immediate cessation of these illegal activities and to hold those responsible accountable.
To Global Governments and Human Rights Councils: We call on human rights councils in Europe, the UK, US, Canada, and Australia to denounce these actions as crimes against humanity and support a thorough investigation. Diplomatic pressure is crucial to halting these activities and ensuring justice for the people of Tigray.
A Plea to Save Tigray’s Natural and Cultural Heritage
Tigray, a land of profound heritage, natural beauty, and historical significance, is being destroyed by unchecked environmental exploitation. Its forests, rivers, and communities are being laid to waste by greed-fuelled interests. We must safeguard Tigray from predatory and illicit operations that transform fertile land into a poisoned wasteland, contaminating soil, water, and all forms of life.
To the global community: Tigray requires recovery, healing, and rebuilding after genocide—not further exploitation and destruction. Continuing to exploit Tigray’s resources in this context is to participate in the systematic dismantling of a people’s hope for peace and justice.
The illegal gold mining in Tigray is a humanitarian and environmental disaster, a violation of human rights on an unprecedented scale, and a moral failure. We, Tigrayan advocates for human rights and justice, demand that these illegal operations cease immediately and that those responsible face accountability.
For Tigray, for justice, and for the survival of our people: Let us act now to end this exploitation and destruction. Let us protect and preserve Tigray for future generations. The world must not turn away.
Sincerely,
The Tigrayan Advocacy Group for Human Rights and Justice in the UK & EU
Email: info@tag-hr.org