In a bold move signaling growing resistance to Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) dominance and dissatisfaction with Tigray’s current political and military leadership, four political parties, ARENA for Sovereignty and Democracy, Tigray Independence Party, Baytona for Greater Tigray, and the newly formed SIMRET, have joined forces with prominent former military leaders General Tsadikan Gebretensae and General Teklay Ashebir to launch the Movement of Tigrayans for Change. The initiative, chaired by General Tsadikan, aims to chart a new political direction for Tigray in the post-war period, distancing itself from both the TPLF establishment and the region’s current administration.
In an in-depth interview with Tigray Broadcasting Services (TBS), General Tsadikan offered a scathing critique of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) and its collapse. He placed particular blame on President Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, accusing him of undermining the administration from within in order to pave the way for the return of the TPLF’s long-standing political dominance. Tsadikan claimed that Tadesse, though nominally second-in-command under then-President Getachew Reda, wielded excessive power and influence, controlling key areas including land, investment, and regional security, as well as overseeing between 8 to 9 billion ETB of the TDF’s 13 billion regional budget. He argued that despite these vast resources, Tadesse failed to improve the condition of the armed forces, instead exploiting their grievances to weaken TIRA and restore TPLF control for personal political gain.
SIMRET, one of the new movement’s founding members, was recently established by Getachew Reda himself, a former TPLF politburo member and TIRA President who now serves as an advisor to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on East African Affairs.
Divided Armies and Growing Public Resistance
Tsadikan also addressed the military-political fault lines that have emerged in recent years. Referring to the January 23, 2025 declaration by senior army leaders at the corps level and above, who pledged allegiance to the Debretsion-led TPLF faction, Tsadikan rejected the legitimacy of that move and insisted that the broader TDF did not, and does not, stand behind those leaders. He mentioned that this declaration occurred before Getachew Reda’s faction split from the TPLF and registered as a separate party. According to Tsadikan, the decision was strongly opposed at the time by several senior commanders, including Generals Guesh Gebre, Wedi AnTiru, Wedi Abate, Kebede, and Tsegaye “Marx.” He added that many others who initially accepted the decision have since come to regret it. Wedi AnTiru, one of those who stood in opposition, has recently re-emerged publicly as a spokesperson for the Tigray Peace Forces.
The general praised recent civilian protests and uprisings in South and Southeast Tigray zones as indicators that the people are prepared for a new direction but are lacking organized leadership. He also viewed the emergence of the Tigray Peace Forces as an important signal of readiness for democratic transformation. Tsadikan urged individual soldiers, units, and commanders to either join these peace forces, remain at home, or defy orders—actions he claimed have already occurred in parts of the Raya and Wejerat.
He also leveled serious allegations against senior military figures still active in the region. General Yohannes Woldegiorgis, Tsadikan said, deployed five to six divisions in a single zone and used extreme tactics to suppress civilian protests, including positioning snipers and bren guns in Mekoni and broadcasting warnings over loudspeakers that protesters would be killed if they left their homes. Despite the threats, civilians defied orders, took to the streets, and eventually forced the army to retreat from Korem. In another incident, there was a fatal shooting of peaceful protester Desta Gebreezgi in Wejerat.
He also accused General Hintsa of executing civilians in Abiy Adi, Tembien in an attempt to crush dissent. These actions, Tsadikan warned, are fueling a growing but suppressed resistance. He stated that the current path of militarized repression is unsustainable and that unless immediate changes occur, “there is a smoldering fire” that will erupt across the region.
A Call for Civil Disobedience and a New Political Order
In his strongest public appeal yet, General Tsadikan called on the people of Tigray to engage in mass civil disobedience. Comparing the current moment to the uprisings in 1950s Yugoslavia, he emphasized the urgency of rejecting what he called a “new ruling class” attempting to re-establish TPLF’s control under a different guise. “Mekelle is ready,” he declared, calling for a complete societal shift away from the current politics and toward genuine democratic renewal.
He stressed that the TPLF’s continued grip on power is not the will of the people but the result of a small group maintaining control over state institutions, information channels, and the economy. He warned TDF members not to allow themselves to be used to protect what he referred to as “a few criminals”.
He warned that without peaceful resolutions, the situation could implode. He criticized the TPLF leadership, stating they see no solutions beyond their control. He mentioned all Tigray regions, Agame, Adwa, Axum, Shire, Irob, and Kunama, urging immediate action to prevent irreversible damage. He stressed that TDF members should not shield a few criminals. He said his movement is trying to open doors for change, urging the youth to rise and protest rather than remain passive. He expressed deep frustration at being unable to enter Tigray, blaming a conspiracy involving senior Tigrayan army leaders and Eritrea’s ruling party, Shabia, which he claimed is now closely tied to the TPLF. He described sleepless nights, haunted by his inability to return to Tigray despite his lifelong efforts to improve its fate, not just his own.
UMD Media previously received an unconfirmed report from a a TIRA source alleging that an Eritrean assassination squad rented units in his Mekelle neighborhood the night before he left Tigray in March. Efforts to verify the claim with the general or other sources were unsuccessful. He has not returned to Tigray since.
