March 10, 2025
President Donald J. Trump
The Whitehouse
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Subject: Appeal for Action to Prevent Conflict and Humanitarian Catastrophe in Tigray, Ethiopia
Your Excellency, Mr. President,
We, members of the “I Can’t Be Silent About Tigray”, a coalition of Tigrayan pro-democracy organizations in the diaspora, urgently call your attention to the escalating security crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia. Without immediate intervention, another devastating war could erupt, threatening the stability of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea corridor—an area critical to global security and commerce.
The people of Tigray have already endured one of the most brutal genocides in recent memory, with millions killed, displaced, or subjected to inhumane atrocities. The war destroyed vital infrastructure—schools, hospitals, and economic centers, leaving the region in a deep humanitarian crisis. While the Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) of November 2022 brought a fragile peace, the suffering continues. Nearly 40% of Tigray remains under occupation by Eritrean and Amhara forces, who continue to commit atrocities, including killings, rapes, and forced displacements.
Simultaneously, the Marxist faction within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)—led by former Tigray President Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael, Ms. Fetlework Gebregzabher, Mr. Alem Gebrewhahid, Mr. Amanuel Assefa, and Mr. Getachew Assefa—remains a major obstacle to peace.
These individuals, in collaboration with rogue military leaders, actively sabotage the political and administrative functions of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA), obstructing the full implementation of the Pretoria CoHA. They exploit instability to maintain an oligarchic hold over the region, using violence and coercion to undermine peace efforts.
Key Military Figures Undermining Stability:
- General Migbe Haile
- General Yohannes WoldeGiorgis
- General HaileSelassie Girmay
- General Masho Beyene
These generals are systematically dismantling local governance structures, employing military force to silence opposition and obstruct democratic reforms. In Saharti Samre, forces under General Yohannes WoldeGiorgis opened fire on unarmed civilians advocating for self-governance—an egregious act of brutality that underscores the growing threat to stability in Tigray. Their continued defiance risks reigniting conflict, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, and fuelling broader instability across Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.
Recognizing the gravity of this threat, the President of the Tigray Interim Administration, Mr. Getachew Reda, took decisive action today, issuing formal suspension letters to three of these generals, stripping them of their authority, to uphold peace and restore democratic governance.
Collusion with Eritrea and Criminal Activities
In a direct violation of the Pretoria CoHA, elements of the TPLF oligarchy have reestablished ties with Eritrean dictator Isaias Afwerki, conspiring to reclaim power through violence. Eritrea, notorious for fuelling regional conflicts, is actively provoking another war, posing a grave risk to U.S. interests and global security.
Further exacerbating the crisis, illicit gold mining operations—run by TPLF-affiliated military leaders—are stripping Tigray’s resources while poisoning communities with globally banned hazardous chemicals. In December 2024, the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia reported the sale of 38 quintals of gold from Northwestern Tigray in a single month, yet the actual production from illegal mining is estimated to be significantly higher. Proceeds from these operations fund rogue military factions and Eritrean interests, worsening the region’s instability.
Attacks on Democratic Governance
Faced with governmental dysfunction and the dissolution of the Tigray Parliament, TIRA recently established an inclusive council of intellectuals, political parties, and civil society leaders to guide democratic governance. This initiative enjoys broad public support but is fiercely opposed by the TPLF oligarchy, which seeks to dismantle it to preserve its control. The undermining of this democratic process poses an existential threat to stability in Tigray and Ethiopia as a whole.
Humanitarian Catastrophe and Human Trafficking
The humanitarian situation in Tigray is catastrophic. Poverty is at record levels, and youth unemployment has soared to 81%. Exploiting this desperation, the TPLF faction, in collusion with Eritrean actors, has turned to human trafficking, luring Tigrayan youth with false promises of safe passage to Libya and Europe. Thousands have perished in the Sahara Desert or drowned in the Mediterranean; victims of smuggling networks operated by those who once claimed to protect them. An estimated 100,000 Tigrayan youth have already fled the region, further deepening the migration crisis.
A Call for Immediate U.S. Action
Your Excellency, the U.S. must take swift and decisive action to prevent another war and dismantle the forces driving instability in the region. Specifically, we urge your administration to:
- Impose targeted Global Magnitsky Act sanctions on the individuals listed above for their role in dismantling the TIRA, human rights violations, illicit financial activities, and acts of terror.
- Enhance diplomatic engagement to counter Eritrea’s destabilizing influence and coordinate international efforts to dismantle criminal networks financing regional violence.
- Hold the Ethiopian federal government and TIRA accountable to fully implement the Pretoria CoHA, ensuring the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees while restoring constitutional order.
Failure to act will embolden lawlessness, fuel the resurgence of war, and intensify human suffering. More alarmingly, it will accelerate the collapse of law and order across the Horn of Africa, threatening global security and U.S. strategic interests in the region.
Your Excellency, we implore you to use the full power of your office to prevent another war, halt human rights abuses, and restore hope for the people of Tigray and the Horn of Africa. History will judge the world’s response—or lack thereof—to this looming crisis. The United States has a long-standing commitment to peace and stability in the region and now is the time to reaffirm that leadership.
We commend the United States for its unwavering commitment to fully implementing the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) and deeply appreciate its steadfast leadership in promoting global security. Furthermore, we recognize the administration’s continued efforts to uphold democratic values and defend human dignity worldwide.
CC:
- The Honorable Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State
- H.E. Mr. Ali Youssouf, Chairman of the AU Commission
- H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia
- H.E. Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration
- H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, Former President of Kenya, Envoy for the Horn of Africa
- H.E. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Former Deputy President of South Africa
Respectfully,
The “I Can’t Be Silent About Tigray”
Email: cantbesilent4tigray@gmail.com
To Download in PDF Format click Appeal for Action to Prevent Conflict and Humanitarian Catastrophe in Tigray, Ethiopia