The Unmasking of Illegal Gold Mining Syndicate in Tigray

Undercover Investigation Report

[By Tigray Media Watch Digital Intelligence Monitoring Group, Mekele, Tigray, 30 December 2024]

Executive Summary

This report exposes the deeply entrenched criminal syndicate orchestrating illegal gold mining exploitation in Tigray. The findings highlight the involvement of high-ranking officials within the Tigray Mining Bureau, including Feseha Meresa (Head) and Kaleayu Gebrehiwot (Deputy Head), as facilitators and beneficiaries of this illicit gold mining network. These individuals, leveraging their political authority and connections within the splintered TPLF leadership, are exploiting Tigray’s resources under the guise of economic recovery, perpetuating corruption, which is undermining Tigray’s stability.

The illegal gold trade has evolved into a militarised and transnational enterprise, involving local actors, corrupt officials, and international investors. Dubai has been identified as a primary hub for smuggled Tigrayan gold with the participation of foreign entities in fuelling instability, displacing people, destroying the environment, and endangering human health.

This report strongly recommends the immediate removal of corrupt officials implicated and the suspension of all mining licenses until Tigray’s territorial integrity is restored, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are returned and resettled safely to their homes in Western Tigray, and a democratically elected government is in place.

Background

1. Post-Genocidal War Devastation and Resource Exploitation

Following the genocidal war waged against Tigray, the region remains in a fragile state, struggling to rebuild its economy and rehabilitate the victims of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, rape and sexual violence committed by the Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Amhara forces.

Rather than focusing on recovery strategies, illicit activities such as illegal gold mining operations using internationally banned chemicals have flourished, exacerbating poverty, becoming obstacle to economic recovery, irreversible damage to the environment, endangering human and animal health.

2. Political Exploitation

Feseha Meresa and Kaleayu Gebrehiwot have used their political influence to establish and maintain illegal gold mining networks.

While posing as advocates for reconstruction on media platforms, like Tigray TV, these actors have simultaneously sabotaged the interim government’s efforts and enriched themselves through illicit gold smuggling networks and backdoor deals by collaborating with foreign entities.

3. International Connections

Our investigation reveals connections between Tigray’s illegal mining operations and global markets, particularly Dubai.

Gold smuggled out of Tigray has funded criminal activities in undermining the interim government from implementing the Pretoria peace agreement, suppressing political opponents and human rights abuses, and benefiting foreign actors, deepening Tigray’s vulnerabilities to food security and poverty.

Key Actors and Their Roles

1. Kaleayu Gebrehiwot – The Double Agent:

• Position: Deputy Head, Tigray Mining Bureau
• Role: Main facilitator and broker of illegal mining licenses to national and international investors.
• Strategy: Utilises dual identity—acting as a reformist publicly while privately orchestrating corruption and sabotaging the interim government.
• Financial Gain: Earns millions in commission by serving as an agent between foreign investors and corrupt TPLF networks.

2. Feseha Meresa – The Cover-Up Mastermind:

• Position: Head, Tigray Mining Bureau
• Role: Provides bureaucratic cover and protection for illegal operations.
• Political Cover: Leverages influence within TPLF splinter group to neutralise opposition.

3. General Tadesse Werede – The Escort (ዓጃቢ) Operations Facilitator

• Position: Vice President of the Interim Government
• Role: Provides escort (ዓጃቢ) to gold smuggling networks.
• Political Cover: Leverages influence within TPLF splinter group and TDF to sabotage and weaken the interim government work and function.

4. TPLF Splinter Group

Members of Debretsion Gebremichael’s faction continue to wield influence, using gold mining smuggling profits to consolidate power and destabilise Tigray’s recovery and reconstruction.

5. Federal and International Collaborators

Federal investment authorities and foreign entities in collaboration with the corrupt TPLF officials and their criminal networks exploit Tigray’s vulnerability, extracting resources while fuelling instability, human rights abuses and displacing local people from their land.

Investigative Findings

1. Surveillance Operations

Our undercover monitoring teams tracked Kaleayu Gebrehiwot’s movements between Mekelle, Addis Ababa, and Shire Inda Slasse. The evidence gathered reveals clandestine meetings with federal authorities and foreign actors to finalise illegal gold transactions.

2. Financial Trails

Large sums of money traced to offshore accounts and commission payments implicating Kaleayu and his network group.

3. Environmental Devastation

Reports confirm widespread ecological damage in the illegal gold mining areas, threatening agricultural land sustainability, displacing communities, and contaminating water supplies.

4. Security Threats

The militarisation of mining sites by illegal armed groups has led to human rights abuses, violence, and the proliferation of armed groups benefiting from the illegal gold trade.

Recommendations and Action Plan

1. Take Immediate Actions

• Remove Kaleayu Gebrehiwot and Feseha Meresa from office to prevent further sabotage and exploitation of resources to stop the illegal gold mining operations and smuggling networks in Tigray.
• Investigate and indicate the officials involved in illegal gold mining exploitations using internationally banned chemicals that contaminated the environment and water supplies.
• Suspend all mining licenses with immediate effect until legal frameworks and policies are in place to protect the environment, local communities, animal welfare, human health, and water supplies.
• Launch a comprehensive audit of mining site operations and financial transactions.

2. Governance and Policy

• Establish an independent investigative task force to audit and monitor mining operations in complying with international standards to protect local communities and the environment.
• Strengthen anti-corruption laws and enforcement mechanisms to dismantle the criminal networks.

3. Economic Recovery and Rehabilitation of IPDs

• Prioritise the return and resettlement of IDPs safely, focusing on IPDs and the customs of genocide rehabilitation to rebuild their lives.
• Develop sustainable environmental assessment and mining policies that benefit the people of Tigray.

4. Security and Monitoring to Protect Mining Sites

• Deploy security forces to stop all gold mining operations, dismantle the illicit gold mining and smuggling networks, and disarm the illegal armed groups that are guarding the mining operations.
• Enhance intelligence monitoring systems to track illicit gold mining activities.

Dismantling Criminal Networks

The individuals involved in illegal gold mining exploitation in Tigray must be brought to justice for contaminating the environment with internationally banned chemicals, displacing local people, and depriving Tigray’s economic recovery and reconstruction.

We are continuing to gather illicit mining and land distribution activities and misuse of public money and resources by closely monitoring corruption in public office. No stone will be left unturned to protect Tigray resources. This is now our another frontier of struggle to unearth and expose corruption entrenched in Tigray under the TPLF. Accountability is inevitable to bring those misappropriating public assets to justice.

Conclusion

The illegal gold mining exploitations and smuggling networks in Tigray represents not only damage to Tigray’s economic development but also a continuation of systemic and silent genocide, oppression and corruption by internal and external actors stretching from Tigray to Eritrea, Addis Ababa, Dubai, and Kampala. The involvement of senior officials like Kaleayu Gebrehiwot, Feseha Meresa, and a few TDF generals highlights the urgent need for decisive actions to be taken to end systematic genocide, displacements, corruption and bad governance structures.

We call on the Tigray Interim Government President, Getachew Reda, to restore accountability, good governance, and integrity in public office to secure public confidence in the interim government. Failure to act decisively may risk further destabilisation and the entrenchment of corruption and criminal network syndicates that can erode trust in the interim government.

Tigray Media Watch Digital Intelligence Monitoring Group remains committed to uncovering corruption to safeguard Tigray’s national interests. We will defend the people of Tigray’s peace, security, and sovereignty. The systematic and silent genocide being perpetrated by internal and external criminals must end. Political integrity in public office, justice, and accountability must be restored inTigray.