Ethiopia Forces Rearrest Tigrayan Party Leader Critical Of War

Federal security forces in Addis Ababa have rearrested Kibrom Berhe, head of foreign affairs of the National Congress of Great Tigray’s Baytona Party – an opposition political party from Tigray regional state. He was arrested days after parliament passed a resolution to investigate war atrocities.

Kibrom’s Baytona Party is seeking a confederation arrangement with independent states. Its political ideologies advocate that the concept of a united Ethiopia is impossible, given its history and structure.

This is the second arrest for Kibrom – he was one of thousands of Tigrayans detained in July 2021 – in what Amnesty International described as “arbitrary arrests targeting Tigrayans”. Kibrom was released without charge after months of detention in Afar state, and has since written a book on the civil war in Tigray.