SUPPORT ETHIOPIA INSIGHT .wpedon-container .wpedon-select, .wpedon-container .wpedon-input { width: 200px; min-width: 200px; max-width: 200px; } Peace falters under political decay and proxy conflictThree years on from the Pretoria Agreement, the stability it promised for Tigray is a phantom. The cessation of hostilities was a crucial respite, but its foundations are cracking.A lack of political will to implement its core tenets—disarmament, IDP and territorial returns, security reform and transitional justice—has left the agreement in tatters.This stagnation is now compounded by escalating tension, including a reported drone strike earlier this month.This volatility makes one truth painfully clear: A peace deal is only a first step. It cannot, by itself, dismantle the deep-seated structures and mindsets that perpetuate conflict.The path forward is threatened not just by the tension but by a political culture still in the grip of a stifling party-state and collective trauma.Broken AccordA return to large-scale conflict is an immediate danger. Pretoria is being undermined not merely through inaction but by actions that violate its spirit. The logic of force continues to dominate calculations, as seen in a persistent occupation.Around a third of Tigray’s administrative territory remains under the control of Eritrea and Amhara forces, a violation of Pretoria. This prevents the return of over 1.2 million displaced Tigrayans and creates constitutional disorder that poisons the political environment.This crisis is amplified by emerging proxy conflicts. The armed movement led by Brigadier General Gebre Egziabher Beyene, known as the Tigray Peace Force (TPF), now operates from Afar in opposition to the TPLF.Regardless of its stated grievances, the TPF’s existence—and the widespread belief in Tigray that it is being leveraged by Addis Ababa—converts a fragile peace into a covert proxy war, undermining the trust that Pretoria was meant to foster.Structural FlawsBeneath this volatility lie structural defects. Politics remains dominated by the hegemonic TPLF, whose control, rooted in decades of armed struggle, stifles pluralism.The party’s intertwining with government institutions renders state organs incapable of prioritizing the public interest over the party’s agenda.This flaw is buttressed by a militarized culture, where brute force continues to overshadow civil governance.Perhaps the most profound obstacle to recovery is the region’s trauma. The war has given rise to a dangerous form of trauma-led activism, where shared suffering becomes the central feature of political identity.This communal pain, while legitimate, fosters a reactive and strategically myopic mindset, one that is exploited by political actors to reinforce a perpetual narrative of victimhood. This, in turn, encourages the practice of blaming external forces for every setback while refusing to acknowledge internal weaknesses.This leads to strategic blunders, most notably the alleged rapprochement between a hardline TPLF faction and the very Eritrean regime that was a primary enemy in the war.Tsimdo, or alignment, is a dramatic reversal that risks eroding moral authority and betraying core principles, all for short-term tactical advantage. It reveals a failure to situate Tigray’s future within a broader, stable regional context.Corrosive CultureDialogue is suffocated by a culture of dangerous labeling. Anyone advocating for peace or nuance is instantly branded a “sellout”, creating a chilling environment that shuts down avenues for functional engagement.This mindset can become so entrenched that it leads to the rejection of critical national assets, such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, now framed by some activists as an “enemy interest”.Further fueling the cycle of violence is the illicit war economy, centered on Tigray’s gold. The competition over lucrative deposits in areas like North-Western Tigray is a major driver of internal conflict, providing armed factions with funds.This systematic plunder of public wealth—with gold smuggled out through Sudan and Eritrea—deprives the region of hundreds of millions of dollars needed to rebuild, impeding recovery and cementing a nexus of ex-combatants, corrupt officials, and transnational brokers.Collective ConsciousnessThe blend of security threats, structural flaws, a corrosive illicit economy, and a trauma-driven political culture creates a precarious situation. Recovery demands a conscious shift.As a guidepost for the transition, we must heed the call: “To replace the old paradigm of war with a new paradigm of waging peace, we must be pioneers who can push the boundaries of human understanding.”It is our responsibility to challenge the dangerous narratives, achieve internal reconciliation, and choose a unifying path toward a peaceful future. .wpedon-container .wpedon-select, .wpedon-container .wpedon-input { width: 200px; min-width: 200px; max-width: 200px; } Query or correction? Email us window.addEventListener("sfsi_functions_loaded", function(){if (typeof sfsi_widget_set == "function") {sfsi_widget_set();}}); While this commentary contains the author’s opinions, Ethiopia Insight will correct factual errors.Main photo: Candlelight ceremony commemorating fallen TDF fighters, Hawzien, June 2025. Source: Social media.Published under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. You may not use the material for commercial purposes.The post Waging Peace in Tigray, a Land Haunted by War appeared first on Ethiopia Insight.