Protest Rallies in Raya and Wefla Demand Suspension of Ongoing Interim Elections
By STAFF WRITER
NAIROBI, KENYA — Demonstrations were reported in Kobo town and across six woredas in the Raya and Wefla areas as residents voiced strong opposition to ongoing interim administration elections. Protesters condemned the process as non-inclusive, discriminatory, and lacking legal legitimacy.
The rallies took place in Alamata, Korem, Wefla, Bala, Raya Alamata, and Zata woredas. Demonstrators called for an immediate suspension of the election process, citing the exclusion of local communities and unresolved security and displacement issues in the region.
Ato Eyasu Tareke, Chairman of the Wollo Raya Amhara Identity and Boundary Restoration Committee, addressed participants during an opening speech, asserting that the electoral process lacks impartiality.
According to Ato Eyasu, the elections are being conducted in violation of previous understandings that disputed areas should remain under direct federal control until a constitutional solution is reached. He noted that the vote is proceeding while thousands of displaced persons have yet to return to their homes and Amhara identity communities remain systematically excluded.
He further alleged that political and military leaders affiliated with armed groups—including Semeret, RDP, and the Tigray Peace Force—are actively participating in the election, compromising its neutrality.
Ato Eyasu clarified that the committee does not oppose establishing a temporary local administration itself, but rejects the current election mechanism and its accountability framework under existing conditions.
In their list of demands, demonstrators called on federal and regional authorities to immediately halt the election process across all six woredas and provide full public transparency regarding why previous administrative decisions for disputed areas were altered. They further demanded the complete withdrawal of armed Tigray forces from the area, alongside guarantees for the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Furthermore, protesters urged both federal and regional governments to intervene so that identity and administrative boundary disputes can be resolved strictly through constitutional and legal mechanisms.
Rally participants emphasized that until a permanent, legal solution is finalized through constitutional processes, a strictly neutral interim administration must be established to oversee the region. They maintained that any election conducted without public consultation and legal grounding lacks legitimacy.
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