TPLF says

The main opposition party of Ethiopia called on the African Union to mediate with the Federal Government after the election council had withdrawn its legal status.

The Tiger Liberation Front (TPLF) said the step to ban it from any political activity was “dangerous” and posed a “serious threat” before the 2022 agreement, which ended in the two years of the tiger conflict in the northern region.

The party, which has dominated the country for many years, was banned on Wednesday for not holding the General Assembly.

The decision stems from the months of political tensions in the tiger and comes out ahead of the nationwide elections, which should take place by June next year.

The party headed the coalition, which arranged the 1991 coup and ruled Ethiopia until 2018, when Prime Minister Ase Ahmed took power.

He led a tough two -year civil war against the federal government, which ended with a truce signed in November 2022 after tens of thousands were killed and millions forced them to houses in Northern Ethiopia.

The party conducts a temporary Tiger Administration, which was established in 2023 as part of a peaceful transaction known as Pratern Mir.

But the party failed to hold the internal elections from the split, and two factions declare control over the party.

The National Electoral Council of Ethiopia, which controls the behavior of political parties, “decided to officially decrease” TPLF on the grounds that it failed to hold the General Assembly.

But the party protested against this move and called on the African Union to put pressure on the federal government to suspend the ban.

A letter to the OS said that the ban “denies the right of TPLF that it has been restored through the Pretoria Agreement and poses a serious threat to the basis of the peace process.”

It adds that the peaceful deal stipulated that both sides recognize each other’s legitimacy and any political issue must be resolved through dialogue.

TPLF Deputy Chairman Azenuel Asef said the BBC that the decision of the Electoral Council could “damage the Pretoria Agreement”, which will “be dangerous”.

“It is not only about TPLF, but also about the undermining that people sacrificed,” Amanuel added.

The delay in the implementation of the terms of the agreement, including the return of about millions of people displaced by the war, caused fears of fresh tiger violence.

A number of countries, including the US, the United Kingdom and the European Union, have warned of increasing tension, saying that “should not be” not returning to violence. “