Ethiopia bans Tigrayan opposition party TPLF

A leading opposition party that dominated Ethiopian politics for decades has been banned from any political activity, the Election Commission said on Wednesday, ahead of national elections due next year.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has roots that go back a long way in national politics.

It led the 1991 revolution that toppled the authoritarian Derg regime and ruled until 2018, when current prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, took power and effectively sidelined the party.

In 2020, the TPLF's home region of Tigray in northern Ethiopia erupted in a vicious two-year conflict against the federal government that ultimately claimed some 600,000 lives.

Peace accord

A peace accord in November 2022 has failed to address many issues stemming from the war.

The TPLF, now in opposition, has been roiled by internal divisions in recent months, resulting in violent clashes in Tigray and the removal of the regional leader, Getachew Reda.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Election Commission's board said it had "resolved to formally deregister" the party on the grounds that it had failed to hold a general assembly.

The decision comes as Ethiopia prepares for elections to be held by June 2026 at the latest.

Frustration in Tigray

The TPLF had already been suspended for three months in February and warned of deregistration if it did not take "corrective action" within three months.

The TPLF can still apply for re-registration for the 2026 polls.

TPLF's senior leadership did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment.

Although the peace deal ended the war in November 2022, there has been frustration in Tigray at the failure to implement its terms, including the return of some one million people displaced by the war.

Previously lost party status

The TPLF first lost its party status at the end of 2020 when hostilities broke out, only regaining recognition after the peace deal.

It was considered a terrorist entity by federal forces while the war continued.

Political analysts were not surprised by the latest decision, but said the consequences remain to be seen.

"This is pushing TPLF to reconsider their relationship with the federal government," said Horn of Africa specialist Kjetil Tronvoll.

New alliances

He told AFP the move could push the party into "reconsidering new alliances with other political actors in Ethiopia and the region."

That was a reference to neighbouring Eritrea, which has had fraught relations with Ethiopia since gaining independence in 1993.

Although the two countries fought together against the Tigrayans in the 2020-22 war, tensions have again resurfaced in its aftermath, with some analysts fearing they are preparing for renewed conflict.