Tigray Defense Forces
| Tigray Defense Forces | |
|---|---|
| ሓይልታት ምክልኻል ትግራይ ሰራዊት ትግራይ | |
| Active | 4 November 2020–present |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Allegiance | Tigray Region |
| Type | Paramilitary |
| Size | 250,000–270,000 (2024 estimates)[1][2] |
| Headquarters | Mekelle, Tigray Region, Ethiopia |
| Nickname | Tigray Army |
| Motto | ዘይንድይቦ ጎቦ |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| President | Debretsion Gebremichael |
| Commander-in-Chief | Tadesse Werede Tesfay |
| Member of central command | Tsadkan Gebretensae |
| Spokesperson | Colonel Gebre Gebretsadik |
The Tigray Defense Forces (TDF; Tigrinya: ሓይልታት ምክልኻል ትግራይ), also referred to as the Tigray Army (ሰራዊት ትግራይ), is a Tigrayan paramilitary force based in the Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia. It was formed during the outbreak of the Tigray War in November 2020 by former officers and generals of the Ethiopian military (ENDF), as well as members of the gendarmerie Tigray regional forces, local militia and volunteers.[1][3]
The TDF was the principal Tigrayan military force during the Tigray War. Following the Pretoria Agreement of November 2022, large-scale fighting between Tigrayan and federal forces ended, although disputes over disarmament, territorial control and implementation of the agreement continued. Armed confrontations resumed in 2026, initially during the January–February Tigray clashes and later during the 2026 Ethiopian offensive.[4]
History
Formation and Tigray War
The Tigray Defense Forces emerged after fighting began between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigrayan regional authorities in November 2020. Its personnel included former members of the gendarmerie Tigray Regional Special Forces, defectors from the Ethiopian military, as well as local militia and volunteers.[1][5][3]
During the opening stages of the war, federal forces captured Mekelle and other major towns in Tigray. The TDF subsequently reorganised in mountainous areas and adopted asymmetrical warfare (or guerrilla tactics).[6][3]
Before the federal forces captured Tigray in the first phases of the war, Tigrayan forces operated conventionally and possessed heavy military equipment such as tanks, howitzers, and multiple rocket launchers. During the first phase of the conflict, much of this equipment was destroyed, captured or abandoned as Tigrayan forces withdrew from major urban centres.[6]
In June 2021, Tigrayan forces launched an offensive that resulted in the withdrawal of federal forces from much of Tigray and the recapture of Mekelle. The TDF subsequently expanded its operations into the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions, and re-adopted its conventional structure.
The conflict continued until the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) signed the Pretoria Agreement in November 2022, ending large-scale hostilities.
Post-war period
Following the Pretoria Agreement, Tigrayan forces were expected to undergo disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration. Implementation of those provisions proceeded unevenly amid continuing disputes over security, territorial control and the presence of forces in areas claimed by Tigray.
In February 2024, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project reported renewed clashes in disputed areas of Tigray and estimated the number of Tigrayan personnel awaiting demobilisation at approximately 270,000.[2]
2026 clashes
Tensions between Tigrayan authorities and the Ethiopian federal government increased during early 2026. Tigrayan forces became involved in renewed confrontations in disputed areas, including fighting involving federal and Amhara-aligned forces.
In January 2026, Tigrayan forces entered Tselemti in northwestern Tigray. The renewed military activity subsequently extended into contested areas of southern Tigray before Tigrayan forces withdrew from some positions.
The clashes increased tensions over implementation of the Pretoria Agreement and preceded a broader deterioration in relations between the federal government and Tigrayan authorities later in the year.
2026 Ethiopian offensive
In September 2026, large-scale fighting resumed between Tigrayan and Ethiopian federal forces. The escalation occurred days after the TPLF joined six other Ethiopian opposition groups in establishing the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Coalition for Survival.[7]
On 23 September, Tigrayan forces seized control of the airports at Mekelle, Axum and Shire, disrupting civilian air services to the region. Fighting simultaneously expanded beyond Tigray into neighbouring Afar and Amhara.[4]
Accounts differed over which side initiated the escalation. Ethiopian government officials accused the TPLF of launching an offensive against federal positions in Afar and Amhara, while Tigrayan authorities said federal forces had begun an offensive involving ground forces, aircraft, drones and artillery and described the Tigrayan operations as a counteroffensive.[4][8]
In the Afar Region, Tigrayan forces fought around Abala and later advanced into areas including Erebti. In the Amhara Region, fighting occurred on several fronts, including areas around Sekota and Lalibela.[8]
On 24 September, the Ethiopian military said it had killed 272 Tigrayan fighters and wounded another 260 during fighting in North Wollo. The figures could not be independently verified.[9]
The renewed fighting occurred amid internal disagreements within Tigray's political and military leadership. On 24 September, Reuters reported that Tadesse Werede Tesfay, who had commanded Tigrayan forces during the previous war, and three other senior military figures who had expressed reservations about renewed conflict had been detained. The circumstances surrounding their detention and its effect on the Tigrayan military command structure were initially unclear.[10]
Organisation
Composition
The TDF was formed from several different sources of personnel. These included members of the former Tigray regional security forces, defectors from the Ethiopian military, local militia and civilian volunteers.[1][3]
During the Tigray War, the TDF developed from a regional force equipped with conventional military equipment into a force capable of conducting guerrilla warfare after losing access to much of its heavy equipment during the opening stages of the conflict.[6]
Leadership
The TDF has historically been directed through a central military command composed partly of former senior officers of the Ethiopian military.[3][6]
Debretsion Gebremichael, chairman of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, has served as the senior political leader associated with the Tigrayan forces.
Lieutenant General Tsadkan Gebretensae, a former chief of staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, served as a senior Tigrayan commander during the early stages of the Tigray War.[11][12]
Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede Tesfay subsequently became commander-in-chief of the Tigrayan forces and was one of their most prominent commanders during the remainder of the war.
Colonel Gebre Gebretsadik has served as a spokesperson for the Tigrayan military command.
In September 2026, Reuters reported that Tadesse and three other senior Tigrayan military figures had been detained after expressing reservations about renewed conflict with the federal government.[10] Contemporary reporting did not immediately establish whether the detention formally removed Tadesse from his military position.
Personnel and recruitment
During the Tigray War, the TDF recruited extensively from within Tigray. Some civilians joined voluntarily, while reports also documented allegations of coercive recruitment.
In May 2022, Reuters reported allegations from residents and regional officials that Tigrayan authorities required households to provide recruits and detained relatives of people who refused to enlist. Tigrayan officials denied that recruitment was forced.[13]
Allegations of war crimes
Human rights organisations documented serious abuses attributed to Tigrayan forces during their operations outside Tigray in 2021.
Amnesty International reported that Tigrayan fighters committed rape, looting and physical assaults against civilians in parts of the Amhara Region.[14]
Human Rights Watch reported that Tigrayan forces summarily executed civilians in two towns in Amhara between August and September 2021.[15]
Amnesty International separately documented killings, rape and looting attributed to Tigrayan forces during attacks on towns in Amhara in 2021.[16]
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission also documented violations of human rights and international humanitarian law attributed to Tigrayan forces during their operations in the Afar and Amhara regions.[17]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Fick, Maggie (10 November 2020). "Battle-hardy Tigray back in spotlight as Ethiopia conflict flares". Reuters. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- 1 2 "EPO Monthly Update | February 2024 – Clashes in Tigray's Disputed Territories Threaten Peace Deal". Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Ethiopia's Tigray War: A Deadly, Dangerous Stalemate". International Crisis Group. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Ethiopian Airlines suspends flights to three northern Tigray airports". Al Jazeera. 23 September 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ↑ Walsh, Declan (7 April 2021). "Why Is Ethiopia at War With Itself?". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 "Tigray Defense Forces Resist Ethiopian Army Offensive as Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethnic Militias Enter the Fray". Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ↑ "Seven Ethiopian armed groups announce anti-government alliance". Reuters. 21 September 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Fighting widens across Ethiopia as Tigray clashes escalate". Al Jazeera. 24 September 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ↑ "Ethiopian army says 272 Tigrayan fighters killed in Amhara". Al Jazeera. 24 September 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Flush with allies, Tigray's leaders face internal discord in new Ethiopia war". Reuters. 24 September 2026. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ↑ Marks, Simon (22 January 2021). "On 'Rooftop of Africa,' Ethiopia's Troops Hunt Fugitive Former Rulers". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ↑ "Gen Tsadkan Gebretensae: Ethiopia's Tigray rebel mastermind". BBC News. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ↑ Paravicini, Giulia; Houreld, Katharine (16 May 2022). "Some Ethiopians claim forced recruitment by Tigrayan forces". Reuters. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ↑ "Ethiopia: Survivors of TPLF attack in Amhara describe gang rape, looting and physical assaults". Amnesty International. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ↑ "Ethiopia: Tigray Forces Summarily Execute Civilians". Human Rights Watch. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ↑ "Ethiopia: Tigrayan forces murder, rape and pillage in attacks on civilians in Amhara towns". Amnesty International. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ↑ "Afar and Amhara Regions: Report on Violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in Afar and Amhara Regions of Ethiopia Published". Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.