Tigray Defense Forces

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Tigray Defense Forces
ሓይልታት ምክልኻል ትግራይ
ሰራዊት ትግራይ
Mottoዘይንድይቦ ጎቦ
There are no mountains we would not climb[citation needed]
Founded4 November 2020; 4 years ago (2020-11-04)[1][2][3]
HeadquartersMekelle, Tigray Region
Leadership
PresidentDebretsion Gebremichael
Commander-in-chiefLieutenant Gen Tadesse Werede Tesfay
Member of central commandLieutenant General Tsadkan Gebretensae
SpokespersonColonel Gebre Gebretsadik
Personnel
Active personnel<10,000[4][5]–250,000[6] (est. Nov. 2020)
Related articles
HistoryTigray War

The Tigray Defense Forces (TDF; Tigrinya: ሓይልታት ምክልኻል ትግራይ), colloquially called the Tigray Army (ሰራዊት ትግራይ), is a paramilitary group located in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. It was founded by former generals of the Ethiopian Military in 2020 to combat federal forces enforcing national government mandates in the Tigray region, culminating in 2020 with the outbreak of the Tigray War.[7] The TDF has made use of guerilla tactics and strategies.[8][9] Human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported that the TDF has committed war crimes against civilians including gang rape and extrajudicial killing during their occupation of both the Afar and Amhara regions.[10][11] According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice, TDF combatants have been found liable for upwards of 540 civilians casualties. as of 28 December 2021[needs update].[12]

File:Location of Tigray Defense Forces.png
Territory controlled by the Tigray Defense Forces (dark green), inside of the Tigray Region (light green), as of 13 October 2022 [needs update]

Overview

The Tigray Defense Forces consist of former members of the gendarmerie Regional Special Forces in the Tigray Region, ENDF defectors,[6][13] local militia, members of Tigrayan regional political parties including the TPLF, National Congress of Great Tigray, Salsay Weyane Tigray, Tigray Independence Party and others,[14] as well as numerous youth who fled to the mountains[clarification needed].[15][16][17][18]

The Tigrayan leadership, though driven from power in Mekelle, the region's capital, has rallied under the banner of the Tigray Defence Forces, an armed resistance group. It is led by the removed Tigrayan leaders and commanded by former high-ranking Ethiopian National Defence Force officers.
— International Crisis Group, Ethiopia's Tigray War: A Deadly, Dangerous Stalemate, [17]

Internally, analysts believe that the relative influence of the TPLF has been weakened to the benefit of newer elements within the TDF.[17][18]

Leadership

Many TDF officers and non-commissioned officers defected from the ENDF in the lead up to and during the Tigray War.[9] In a Zoom meeting with Tigray diaspora activists[who?] in June 2021, President of the Tigray region, Debretsion Gebremichael, stated that the TDF is led by a central command which coordinates their military actions.[citation needed] Lieutenant General Tsadkan Gebretensae, who was the chief of staff of Ethiopian National Defense Forces until 2001, became the TDF commander in chief and remained in that post until March 2021,[17][19] when he became a member of the Central Command.[4][20] Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede Tesfay is part of the command[17][9] and Commander-in-Chief of the TDF since March 2021. Brigadier General Migbey Haile is Commander of the Army.[citation needed] Brigadier General Abraha Tesfay is Commander of Army.[21]

  1. ↑ "Tigray Communication Affairs Bureau Press Release on Facebook, Central Command Spokesperson Getachew Reda". Facebook. 14 November 2020.[self-published source]
  2. ↑ "Tigray Communication Affairs Bureau Press Release on Facebook, Tigray Defense Forces spokesperson Gebre Gebretsadkan". Facebook. 19 November 2020.[self-published source]
  3. ↑ "Central Command Spokesperson Getachew Reda Interview With Dimtsi Weyane Television". YouTube. 14 November 2020.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Tghat, 7 June 2021, General Tsadekan Gebretensae Exclusive Interview With Dimtsi Weyane Tigray, Broadcast on May 29, 2021
  5. ↑ Dimtsi Weyane, 18 June 2021, ምስ ኣዛዚ ሰራዊት ትግራይ ተጋዳላይ ታደሰ ወረደ (ወዲ ወረደ) ዝተገበረ ቃለ መሕትት[self-published source]
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fick, Maggie (10 November 2020). "Battle-hardy Tigray back in spotlight as Ethiopia conflict flares". Reuters. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Ethiopia is fighting 'difficult and tiresome' guerrilla war in Tigray, says PM". The Guardian. 4 April 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  8. ↑ Plaut, Martin (8 January 2021). "Eritrea in the Tigray war: What we know and why it might backfire". African Arguments. The Royal African Society. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Tigray Defense Forces Resist Ethiopian Army Offensive as Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethnic Militias Enter the Fray". Jamestown. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Ethiopia: Survivors of TPLF attack in Amhara describe gang rape, looting and physical assaults". Amnesty International. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Ethiopia: Tigray Forces Summarily Execute Civilians". Human Rights Watch. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "In Ethiopia war, new abuse charges put focus on Tigrayan former rulers". Reuters. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  13. ↑ Walsh, Declan (7 April 2021). "Why Is Ethiopia at War With Itself?". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  14. ↑ Izzo, Salvatore (19 April 2021). "Guerre civile au Tigré, la situation sur le terrain (Fulvio Beltrami) | Place St Pierre" (in italiano). Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  15. ↑ Lefort, René (27 April 2021). "Ethiopia's vicious deadlock". Ethiopia Insight. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Éthiopie: comment les forces rebelles du Tigré organisent la résistance". RFI (in français). 23 May 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 "Ethiopia's Tigray War: A Deadly, Dangerous Stalemate". Crisis Group. The International Crisis Group. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 de Waal, Alex; Gebrehiwot Berhe, Mulugeta (27 January 2021). "Transcript – Call between Mulugeta Gebrehiwot and Alex de Waal 27 January 2021" (PDF). World Peace Foundation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  19. ↑ Marks, Simon (22 January 2021). "On 'Rooftop of Africa,' Ethiopia's Troops Hunt Fugitive Former Rulers". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Gen Tsadkan Gebretensae: Ethiopia's Tigray rebel mastermind". BBC News. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  21. ↑ Tesfaselam Informer: General Dinkul: The most famous general leading Tigraian Defence Forces speaks about the war in Tigray Archived 4 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine[self-published source]
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