Getachew Reda, former president of the Tigray interim administration (TIA) and current advisor to the Prime Minister, stated that the Eritrean government does not desire to engage in war with Ethiopia during the inaugural general assembly of the Tigray Solidarity Party (Simret).

The assembly took place on Friday, October 24, with leaders of various political organizations, representatives of the National Election Board of Ethiopia, members of the Prosperity Party, and other guests in attendance.

Getachew stated the conference could not be held in the Tigray region due to growing repression and instability, for which he blamed “an organized force operating under the guise of military authority.”

Getachew described a surge in illicit gold mining, corruption, land grabs, human trafficking, and theft, and accused members of the regional administration of participating in the criminal activity.

He claimed that these groups have weakened both the government’s capacity and regional stability in order to plunder gold deposits.

According to Getachew, who wrapped up his two-year tenure as TIA president in April 2025, Tigray is currently in the grip of power structures that prioritize self-preservation over public welfare and see the worsening of the Tigrayan people’s plight as strategically beneficial. 

“The ruling party is seeking to plunge the region into another war, but we will definitely cease such movement by any means,” he said.

Addressing the strained relationship between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Getachew stated that the Eritrean government “knows its capacity” and has no intention of initiating conflict or engaging in war.

He recounted that when Eritrean officials were questioned about their silence regarding Ethiopia’s military activity near the border, they allegedly responded that “elements in southern Tigray are acting on their behalf,” implying that any renewed fighting would begin in southern Tigray or northern Wollo.

“Tigrayan civilians would bear the brunt of such a conflict,” said Getachew, criticizing the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), his former party, for relying on foreign intervention.

“During the previous war, the United States pressured Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to sign the Pretoria Agreement, effectively saving the TPLF,” he said.

Getachew further accused the regional ruling party of exploiting internally displaced people for political gain and indulging in criminal activity. He advocated for a political realignment in Tigray, rejecting the TPLF’s divisive governing strategy, which he sees as favoring elites over the public interest.

He also questioned the present interim administration’s ability to effect substantial change.

“Our priority must be to guide the transition in an organized manner, establish a short-term transitional government, and implement the core provisions of the Pretoria Agreement,” said Getachew. “Afterward, we must concentrate on building a democratically elected administration.”

The PM’s East African Affairs Advisor also disclosed that the newly formed Simret party was unable to hold its assembly in Mekelle in August 2025 as originally planned due to harassment and intimidation, which he alleges has included office break-ins and the destruction of party materials.

Lieutenant General Tsadkan Gebretensae, former chief of staff of the Ministry of Defence, described the conference as historic, taking place during a period marked by authoritarianism, lack of accountability, and the absence of public participation in governance.

He added that the event was significant because it coincided with renewed efforts to restore stability in Tigray, reduce the suffering of its people, and amplify their voices.

In March 2023, Abel Tsegay and Yafet Eyob, two Eritrean nationals, arrived in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region with a promise of safe passage. Instead, they were ensnared in a web of extortion and betrayal that underscores the growing perils faced by migrants in the Horn of Africa.

Upon reaching Ethiopia’s northernmost region of Tigray, the two men were instructed to deposit 10,000 birr into a Wegagen Bank account registered under the name Hagos Kidanemariam. But after receiving the money, Hagos broke off contact, ordering them to return to Eritrea. Desperate, Abel and Yafet sought help from another broker who arranged their transfer from Rama to Mekelle and secured temporary shelter at the Barkot Hotel.

There, the situation deteriorated. The men were threatened and told they would not be released unless they paid between 300,000 and 400,000 birr. In a bid for freedom, they struck a deal with the hotel owner, who helped orchestrate their escape.

But the trap had already widened. A man named Angesom, using surveillance tools, tracked down and detained both the hotel owner and the broker accused of detaining Abel and Yafet. Before the case could reach a courtroom, a police officer—allegedly bribed with 50,000 birr—intervened, securing the suspects’ release.

The ordeal is emblematic of a broader crisis. Human trafficking rings are thriving across the Horn of Africa, targeting displaced and vulnerable populations—especially Eritrean refugees and internally displaced Tigrayans.

A 2023 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warned that the erosion of legal migration pathways, coupled with weakened governance, has allowed transnational criminal networks to exploit the region with near-total impunity. Migrant routes have become corridors of abuse, the report said.

Eritreans fleeing indefinite military conscription and authoritarian repression often face abduction, forced labor, or sexual exploitation en route to Sudan or beyond. A 2024 Human Rights Watch report documented how refugees from Eritrea are kidnapped for ransom, sold into servitude, or trafficked into the sex trade in Libya and Sudan.

Tigrayan women, many displaced by Ethiopia’s civil conflict, face similar fates. Lured by promises of work abroad, they are frequently trafficked into domestic servitude or sexual exploitation. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned that without urgent, coordinated action among regional governments, human trafficking in the Horn could spiral further, threatening thousands more.

A leaked 85-page investigative report obtained by The Reporter reveals just how deeply entrenched these networks have become. The document, compiled by Ethiopian authorities, outlines human trafficking activities in Tigray and implicates a staggering array of actors: 231 suspects, including senior military officers, local administrators, business owners, hotel managers, airline staff, and others.

The report alleges a broad spectrum of criminal activity—money laundering, kidnapping, abuse of power, illegal border crossings, and the use of forged documents to secure unlawful employment and travel.

According to the leak, traffickers have exploited bureaucratic loopholes to procure fake Ethiopian ID cards for Eritrean migrants, allowing them to board domestic flights and avoid detection. The report includes names, bank accounts used for money transfers, and hotels where victims were hidden. It also catalogues verbal testimony, photographs taken in secret, audio recordings, and other forensic evidence collected during the investigation.

Political Fallout

Tensions within Ethiopia’s Tigray region escalated sharply on May 18, 2025, after the Office of the President of the Tigray Interim Administration (TIA) accused former TIA President Getachew Reda of leaking a confidential investigative report for personal gain.

In a public statement, the TIA alleged that Getachew—now serving as Special Advisor to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on East African Affairs—intentionally disclosed the document, which was compiled through months of research, in a calculated act of revenge. “This irresponsible act is not only aimed at the individuals he wanted to target,” the statement read, “but also at those who participated in the study and are now at risk of being harmed at any moment.”

Getachew swiftly denied the allegations, accusing the interim administration of shielding wrongdoers. “I submitted the information to a higher authority, knowing that no action would have been taken had I kept it within the TIA,” he said. He added that some of the individuals named in the report had already fled the country and emphasized that the report was intended to uphold the rule of law, not to exact political revenge.

In a recent two-hour interview with Fana Television, Getachew went further, publicly naming military officials whom he accused of corruption within the Tigray region.

Human rights advocates have warned against politicizing the revelations. Tesfalem Berhe, Director of the NGO Human Rights First, told The Reporter that justice should not be eclipsed by political score-settling. “We have received credible information on the issue,” Tesfalem said. “The interim administration must recognize the gravity of these human rights violations and ensure perpetrators are held accountable. If justice is not served, the crimes will only grow more frequent and more brazen.”

Others point to the broader, transnational scale of the trafficking networks. Alemseged Aregay, Deputy Chairman of the Tigray Independence Party, said that victims are charged as much as 400,000 birr for transit, in addition to 20,000 to 30,000 birr for forged Ethiopian ID cards. He said traffickers also help obtain passports in Addis Ababa before facilitating travel to Rwanda, Uganda, and parts of Europe.

Alemseged described a sprawling network that spans Eritrea, Sudan, Yemen, and Europe, and warned that travellers from Tigray attempting to cross into the Afar region or Western Tigray are routinely intercepted and extorted. He called for urgent federal intervention.

“One political group currently dominates the interim administration,” he said, urging the formation of a more inclusive governing body. “The federal government must enforce the rule of law and bring those responsible to justice.”

The scale of trafficking in the region continues to mount. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), human trafficking cases across the Horn of Africa have increased by 35 percent since 2020. The IOM estimates that over 100,000 individuals from the region were subjected to forced labor or sexual exploitation in 2024 alone.

The leaked report, which has become a flashpoint for political infighting, identifies 231 suspects—including military officers, local officials, and businesspeople—allegedly linked to trafficking syndicates. As the debate over the document’s release intensifies, calls for transparency, justice, and regional reform grow louder.