Members of the Raya community residing in Addis Ababa have sounded an urgent appeal over what they describe as “deteriorating security and human rights situation” in the southern zone of Tigray.
A gathering held earlier this week in Bole Sub-City called for immediate action from the federal government, the interim Tigray administration (TIA), and the international community.
A statement issued following the meeting, which includes a list of 10 resolutions, said the people of Raya—renowned for their “deep-rooted cultural values, peaceful coexistence, and industrious nature”—are now facing “systemic marginalization, repression, and violence.”
It accused the current interim administration and members of the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) leadership of committing “arbitrary detentions, disappearances, killings, and mass displacement” in the region.
“Education must not be militarized,” one participant said during the discussion. He referred to reports that more than a dozen schools and vocational training centers in the area have been turned into military camps.
“Our children deserve classrooms, not barracks,” he added. The attendee underscored that the community demands for the immediate withdrawal of security forces from educational facilities.
The resolutions echoed the participants’ voices. The statement called for the “urgent and unconditional reinstatement of self-administration for the Rayan community,” describing it as a right guaranteed under both the Tigray and Ethiopian constitutions.
Another participant said the community’s peaceful call for self-rule had been met “not with dialogue, but with violence and repression.”
The gathering urged authorities to hold accountable all those responsible for alleged crimes against civilians.
“Those responsible, whether members of the interim administration, military elites, or the former ruling party, must face justice,” reads the statement.
The participants further called on security forces in Tigray to “uphold the principles of protection and service to the people” and to reject political manipulation.
“We do not oppose the security apparatus,” a community member clarified. “But we demand that it serves all Tigrayans equally and distances itself from those who incite conflict.”
Concerns about migration were also raised, with several speakers noting that young people from Raya were leaving the country due to insecurity and lack of opportunity.
“Our youth are risking their lives in the Mediterranean because they see no future at home,” an elderly man said, urging the international community to address the crisis and invest in youth-centered development programs.
The meeting reaffirmed support for the full implementation of the 2022 Pretoria Agreement, lamenting that “three years have passed without meaningful repatriation of IDPs or restoration of Tigray’s territorial integrity.”
The community also expressed solidarity with political parties operating in Tigray, encouraging them to continue peaceful and democratic efforts despite “challenging and repressive conditions.”
In its closing remarks, the community statement appealed to the federal government to exercise its “constitutional responsibility and authority” to protect the people of Raya from what it called “systematic atrocities” committed by regional actors.
“This is not a declaration of hostility,” one community member in his mid-thirties emphasized. “It is a call for justice, accountability, and inclusive governance.”
“The suffering of our people cannot be ignored any longer,” the statement concluded, portraying the growing frustration among the Raya community in Addis Ababa as tensions continue to mount in southern Tigray.
