TPLF Condemns US Visa Sanctions, Accuses Washington of One-Sided Approach
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on Friday condemned newly imposed United States visa restrictions on some of its members, accusing Washington of taking a one-sided approach that overlooks what it described as the Ethiopian government’s failure to implement key provisions of the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement. In a statement issued a day after US […]
Black News 
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on Friday condemned newly imposed United States visa restrictions on some of its members, accusing Washington of taking a one-sided approach that overlooks what it described as the Ethiopian government’s failure to implement key provisions of the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement.
In a statement issued a day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions targeting “hardline members” of the TPLF and their immediate family members, the party said the measures were “incomplete and imbalanced” and risked undermining the fragile peace process in northern Ethiopia.
The US announced the sanctions on June 18 following recent clashes between Tigrayan forces and the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), warning that renewed hostilities could threaten the peace deal that ended the two-year conflict in Tigray and destabilize the wider Horn of Africa.
Responding from Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, the TPLF rejected the US characterization of the crisis and instead blamed the federal government for failing to fulfill its obligations under the Pretoria Agreement, formally known as the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA).
The party alleged that Addis Ababa continues to restrict essential services, including banking, fuel supplies and humanitarian access, despite commitments made under the accord. It said those restrictions have hindered the return of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and contributed to Tigray’s exclusion from Ethiopia’s June 1 elections.
The TPLF urged Washington to apply accountability measures equally to all parties involved in the conflict and called on the United States to pressure the federal government to implement outstanding provisions of the peace agreement.
Among its demands, the party called for the withdrawal of non-federal forces from territories it claims belong to Tigray and for the restoration of the TPLF’s legal status as a political party.
“Selective accountability undermines peace,” the statement said, arguing that targeting only one signatory to the Pretoria accord could weaken confidence in the peace process.
The Ethiopian government has not publicly responded to the TPLF’s latest statement. Addis Ababa has previously maintained that it remains committed to implementing the Pretoria Agreement while pursuing efforts to stabilize the region and address outstanding political and security disputes.
