Tigray Officials Issue Contradictory Directives on Disarmament and Fight

An official in Tigray's new federal-backed administration urged rebel fighters to disarm on October 23, 2026, hours after a Tigray army commander publicly vowed to continue fighting the Ethiopian government[1]. These contradictory public directives challenge the immediate peace in the region following federal forces' recapture of Mekelle[1].

These developments deepen the humanitarian and political crisis in Tigray, affecting its population already suffering from renewed conflict and challenging the viability of the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement[1][11][12]. The mixed messages create uncertainty for combatants and civilians, further complicating efforts to restore stability in the region[1].

What the records show

Redae Halefom Woldeselassie, identified as the chief executive for political and public mobilization in Tigray's new federal-backed caretaker administration, called on Tigrayan rebel fighters to lay down their arms on October 23, 2026[1]. Speaking from Mekelle, Woldeselassie stated that rebel forces were collapsing[1]. He urged fighters to enter a disarmament and reintegration program, saying, “This is not the time for settling scores, I call upon you to return to your homes and continue your civilian lives”[1]. He also stated that rebels could not retake the city and characterized the conflict as serving a small group of leaders[1].

On October 22, 2026, Lieutenant General Fisseha Kidanu, commander of the Tigray army, pledged to continue fighting the Ethiopian government[1]. In a broadcast on Tigray Broadcast Media, a new rebel television station, Kidanu vowed to reverse recent military setbacks[1]. He encouraged local militias and volunteers across the region to engage government-allied forces, stating, “Local militias across the region alongside all volunteers joining the resistance are expected to engage the enemy”[1]. His location during the broadcast was not disclosed[1].

Timeline

Hostilities reignited in Tigray on September 23, 2026, when the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) stated it was engaged in a “defensive war”[8][9]. Reports indicated that Tigrayan forces had taken control of federally controlled airports in Tigray[10]. Government-allied forces entered Mekelle, the regional capital, on October 4, 2026, after the TPLF announced its withdrawal from the city[1][4][5][6]. On October 11, 2026, Getachew Reda, a former Tigray leader and adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, was welcomed in Mekelle[7]. The Ethiopian federal government then established a new six-month caretaker administration in Tigray on October 16, 2026[12].

What changed and for whom

The establishment of the new caretaker administration by the Ethiopian federal government on October 16, 2026, marks a further breakdown of the political arrangements agreed upon in the November 2022 Pretoria peace agreement[11][12]. Dr. Jalale Getachew Birru, East Africa Senior Analyst at ACLED, stated, “The Federal government's decision to establish a new caretaker administration on 16 October 2026 now marks a further breakdown of the political arrangements agreed in Pretoria”[12]. This administration is tasked with restoring security, resuming essential services, facilitating the return of displaced persons, and organizing elections[12]. For the Tigrayan population, these developments mean continued uncertainty regarding governance, security, and the prospect of lasting peace[1].

What the subject has said publicly

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, speaking on October 20, 2026, accused the TPLF of acquiring weapons and forcibly recruiting young people[1][13]. He said these actions did not adhere to the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement's disarmament clauses[1][13]. The Prime Minister affirmed that his government had fulfilled its obligations under the accord[1].

What we could not confirm

Lieutenant General Fisseha Kidanu's exact location during his television broadcast on Tigray Broadcast Media was not disclosed[1].