Ethiopia: Fear, Insecurity Persists Amid Recent Large-Scale IDPs and Militia Return to Raya Alamata

Addis Abeba — Over the past three days, the Tigray Interim administration has returned nearly 17,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) including militia and former police officers to Raya Alamata and its surrounding areas.

Haftu Kiros, administrator of the Southern Tigray Zone, confirmed to Addis Standard that 16,868 IDPs who had sought refuge in Maichew and Mekoni towns have returned to Raya Alamata and nearby areas like Waja and Timuga.

According to the administrator, the returnees include militia and police officers who had lived and worked in these areas prior to the start of the Tigray war in 2020. He added while the civilian IDPs with the exception of those whose houses are destroyed have already returned to their homes, the militia and police are currently stationed temporarily in a local school.

“They too, will gradually return to their homes in coordination with the ENDF and the federal police, who are in charge of the security in the area,” Haftu noted.

Simultaneously, over 450 militia, police, and officials of the now defunct local Amhara administration, who had recently been displaced to Wag Himra and Kobo town of the North Wollo Zone of the Amhara region, were repatriated to Korem town on 21 July, 2024, a source from the Amhara side who is close to the matter revealed to Addis Standard.

The source added that the repatriation was based on an agreement reached between the federal government and the Tigray Interim Administration, and the returning armed militia and police “will not assume any security responsibilities, but will be integrated to the local population.”

This was further confirmed by Haftu, who said “only the ENDF and the Federal Police are tasked with maintaining security in the area.”

Nonetheless, the return of IDPs including the militia and police was met by opposition from local Amhara youth who staged demonstrations on Saturday last week and reports of persecution have resurfaced since then. On Monday, the BBC reported that four ethnic Amhara residents were abducted by Tigray militias.

Responding to the allegation, Tigray appointed mayor of Alamata town confirmed to the BBC that the individuals were apprehended by the members of the Tigray militia for “creating chaos” and were handed over to the ENDF and federal police.

A local resident, who requested anonymity, told Addis Standard that fear and insecurity prevails in the area amid the repatriation process. “People are terrified, regardless of who is in control. When Amhara forces were in charge, those perceived as Tigray supporters were targeted. Now, with Tigray forces, the same fear exists for those seen as Amhara supporters. The people in the area are victims of both sides,” the resident said.

Haftu, the administrator of the Southern Tigray zone however contends that the repatriation poses no security threat with ENDF and the Federal Police solely given the responsibility of maintaining security. He added that the ENDF has been responsible for dispersing protests and arresting individuals accused of creating insecurity.

Yet, he indicated, referring to the Pretoria agreement, that the areas will soon be governed under the Tigray Interim Administration, and claimed that the local Amhara administration in Alamata and Ofla had already been dismantled.

Addis Standard has learnt that the Amhara side disputes the return of the area under the Tigray interim administration, and proposes the establishment of a local transitional administration overseen by the ENDF until a referendum can be held.

These areas including parts of Western Tigray came under the control of the Amhara forces within weeks of the outbreak of the Tigray war in November 2020, and remained under their occupation until recently impeding the return of IDPs.

In August last year, Abraham Belay the then defense minister revealed a tri-laterally agreed upon plan between the federal government and Amhara and Tigray regions to return IDPs to their homes.

In May 2024, Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede, vice president of the Tigray interim administration, announced that IDPs would be resettled in Southern Tigray by early June 2024 and in Western Tigray by early July 2024.

On 04 July, Addis standard reported the successful return of the first batch of 1,500 IDPs to their homes in the district on June 29, 2024 with another 2,200 arriving days later.