Ethiopia’s peace deal is unravelling – what went wrong with the Tigray agreement
Election
Originally published by The Conversation – Articles (AFRICA) — Read the original article →
The Pretoria peace deal in Ethiopia was an agreement to cease hostilities. It wasn’t a comprehensive political settlement. A political settlement is an enduring agreement among powerful groups that delivers some benefits to avert conflict.
The Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front signed the Pretoria agreement in 2022. It stopped large-scale fighting in Tigray and created a framework for disarmament and other immediate measures. But it was also meant to pave the way for political dialogue addressing underlying disputes.
This political settlement would have restored Tigray’s self-rule through an elected regional government. It would have restored the region’s representation in Ethiopia’s two houses of parliament, and the federal executive and judiciary. Instead, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front was deregistered and Tigray was excluded from the June 2026 elections.
