Addis Ababa, October 15, 2026 (FMC) — Residents of Mekelle, capital of Tigray Region, have condemned the illegal TPLF group for subjecting the people to suffering through its pursuit of power, while pledging active participation in efforts to establish lasting peace in the region.
Residents interviewed by Fana Media Corporation said the group’s coercive recruitment of young people and repeated drive toward conflict had inflicted severe hardship on communities already struggling with hunger, fear and distress.
Afeworki Asgedom, who said he was forcibly recruited by the illegal group and sent into combat, described escaping as his chance to survive what he characterized as the group’s destructive campaign. He denounced the group as oppressive and repressive, saying it had brought no benefit to the people of Tigray Region.
Afeworki stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation with the federal government’s efforts to restore peace in the region, pledging to play his part in advancing that objective.
Another Mekelle resident, Birhan Gebrecherkos, recalled the distressing conditions communities endured as people suffered hunger and anxiety while the illegal TPLF group forcibly recruited young people for war. She said the practice had compounded the hardships faced by residents.
Birhan said a measure of calm had since returned to Mekelle and other parts of Tigray Region, adding that residents were emerging from a period marked by fear and suffering. She affirmed the community’s readiness to work with the federal government to secure lasting peace and help address the harm inflicted on the people.
Teklay Mesle, another resident, said the illegal TPLF group’s insatiable pursuit of power had plunged communities into unnecessary suffering. He recalled how the group had sent young people, including children taken from their mothers, into war while disregarding the hardships borne by ordinary families.
Teklay said the group’s recent war rhetoric had heightened public anxiety, but added that Mekelle was now beginning to experience a more peaceful atmosphere. He welcomed the return of greater calm and said conditions had been stabilizing.
He also emphasized that achieving comprehensive and lasting peace requires more than federal government initiatives, calling on the regional community and all relevant stakeholders to shoulder their responsibilities.
The residents’ accounts underscore the human cost of coercive mobilization and conflict, while highlighting the importance of community participation and cooperation with the federal government in securing lasting peace across Tigray Region.