“Eritrean forces must leave Zalambessa” – Getachew Reda

Residents of the Gulomahda and Irob woredas of Tigray’s Eastern Zone on the border with Eritrea have echoed their frustrations with occupying Eritrean security forces whom they say are working to expand the territory under their control and issue national identity cards to residents in these areas.

Parts of northern Tigray, including Zalambessa, which is located in Gulomahda Woreda, have been under the control of Eritrean forces since the war.

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) had been deployed in the vicinity of these areas as a buffer since the end of the war, but these forces withdrew last month, according to a Tigray Interim Administration (TIA) official who spoke anonymously.

“As a result, Eritrean forces expanded their hold and took full control of Zalambessa. When ENDF withdrew, TDF did not take its place because of the terms of the Pretoria agreement,” said the official.

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The peace agreement that ended the war prohibits Tigray’s armed forces from expanding into areas not already under their control.

“Now Eritrean forces are within 35 kilometers of Adigrat. It is within striking distance. Eritreans can  hit Adigrat if they want,” said the official.

During a phone conversation with The Reporter, a resident from Irob Woreda expressed deep concerns about the troubles facing his community.

“We are being forced to identify as Eritreans, and if we refuse, we are told to leave our land. They have promised us Eritrean national IDs, but this threatens the identity of Irob as a nation. Since 2020, all roads have been closed, and we receive no support from NGOs. There are no schools or hospitals, and residents are dying. We consider ourselves Ethiopians, yet we see no assistance from the Ethiopian government or the interim administration,” he told The Reporter.

Iron Woreda comprises eight kebeles, with four of them completely under Eritrean control. Those residing in the Artra province are particularly vulnerable due to a lack of infrastructure and restrictions preventing them from accessing nearby cities for supplies or medical treatment.

There have also been reports of individuals being killed by Eritrean soldiers under unclear circumstances. The road conditions in the Tigray region exacerbate these challenges, making it extremely difficult to provide aid to the community.

“Half of the Irob population is under the control of the Eritrean government. The people there are being considered as Eritrean citizens,” said Amdom Gebreselassie, a member of the Arena Democracy party.

He says the residents of the four kebeles under Eritrean control have been threatened with conscription into the Eritrean military and mandatory public service.

“They are in a very difficult situation. Outside of the four kebeles, it is also a bad situation. Shabia is forcibly taking people, robbing cattle, and causing other problems,” Amdom told The Reporter.

Many of the residents in these areas have fled to places such as Adigrat or Mekelle.

“The government is doing nothing. Neither the Tigray interim government nor the federal government are doing anything to solve this,” said Amdom.

He says his party has urged the TIA and the federal government to take action but the calls have yet to garner any response.

Getachew Reda, TIA president, told The Reporter the mandate to free northern Tigray from Eritrean control lies with the federal government according to the terms of the Pretoria agreement.

“It has been a long time since Eritrean forces took control of the area. Zalambessa has been under Eritrean control since the war. The mandate of freeing northern Tigray from the control of foreign forces, belongs to the federal government. What we are asking is the Pretoria agreement must be implemented fully. Eritrean forces must exit from Zalambessa,” Getachew said during a phone call.

Though Eritrea claims the areas based on the Algiers agreement which ended the Ethio-Eritrean war more than two decades ago, officials argue that Eritrea has overstepped boundaries and pushed deep into Ethiopian territory.

Some analysts observe Asmara is taking advantage of an internal feud between TPLF leadership and TIA officials to expand its hold on these territories.

Some TIA officials even joked about the issue when approached by The Reporter over phone.

Federal officials did not respond to questions about the presence of Eritrean forces on Ethiopian territory.