#ethiopia, Disturbing reports of civilian killings, forced conscription, and organized nighttime robberies are emerging from different parts of #Tigray, raising serious concerns about the activities of the #TPLF’s remaining armed faction. I am receiving reports of civilian killings in several areas of Tembien and elsewhere in Tigray. Particularly alarming are accounts of the forcible conscription of more than 150 young people during a market day in Werkamba. Other reports describe organized nighttime robberies carried out by armed TPLF remnants against farmers in remote rural communities. These grave allegations demand urgent, independent investigation and accountability. Meanwhile, the faction is pursuing a calculated campaign of psychological warfare aimed at exaggerating its military strength and creating the illusion of a widespread resurgence. In Mekelle, its remaining networks circulate claims that substantial TPLF forces are regrouping in the mountainous areas of central and eastern Tigray, particularly Tembien. In Tembien, the narrative shifts, with claims that major forces are regrouping elsewhere in the region. A few days ago, a small number of armed remnants entered Abiy Adi, in Tembien, to project a larger military presence, despite no major combat being reported in the area. This pattern reveals an attempt to manufacture the appearance of military strength through rumors, scattered armed movements, and civilian intimidation, compensating for the loss of territorial control and, more fundamentally, the withdrawal of public consent. History offers compelling reasons to take these developments seriously. Since its emergence in 1975, the TPLF has employed clandestine guerrilla tactics, including accounts of fedayn units operating covertly among civilian populations. Historical accounts describe small groups entering towns such as Mekelle, assassinating officials, and disappearing. Such tactics enabled relatively small numbers of armed operatives to generate fear and insecurity far beyond their actual military strength. The concern today is that a faction deprived of its former political and military dominance may increasingly resort to similar methods of clandestine violence and intimidation in an attempt to preserve its relevance. A faction’s declining military strength does not necessarily diminish its capacity to terrorize civilians. Nor should its ability to destabilize communities be mistaken for renewed political legitimacy or popular support. The reported violations deserve immediate scrutiny, and the protection of civilians must take precedence over competing political narratives. The people of Tigray must not be forced to pay, yet again, for the political survival of an armed faction. The TPLF and its remaining supporters must understand one fundamental political reality: the withdrawal of public consent cannot be reversed through the manufacture of fear. Political legitimacy cannot be reclaimed through intimidation, coercion, or violence against the very people an organization claims to represent. @hrw @amnesty