In a highly choreographed display of goodwill, the flags of Tigray and Eritrea fluttered side by side this June as hundreds gathered at the Mereb Bridge, the symbolic and physical link between Ethiopia’s Tigray region and Eritrea. The ceremony marked the reopening of the Mereb-Rama border crossing, the first gesture of reconciliation between the two since a devastating two-year war left both communities fractured and reeling.
The reopening, just 35 kilometers north of Adwa and 54 kilometers from the ancient city of Axum, was widely publicized and attended by senior leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), including its chairman, Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD). At the event, officials also inaugurated the construction of a new road linking Ihsa, a town in Adwa, to the Eritrean border—signaling efforts to normalize relations and reestablish cross-border ties.
But while the ceremony painted a hopeful picture, reactions have been deeply divided.
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For some, the gesture is seen as a long-overdue step toward healing. “We are not just the TPLF and the Eritrean government—first and foremost, we are human beings,” commented Awel Seid, an Eritrean-affiliated activist who has been involved in the reconciliation efforts. “The focus should be on the fate of the two peoples—Tigrayans and Eritreans. Public support is growing, and even artists are contributing to this momentum. Many initiatives are underway.”
Awel expressed cautious optimism for a more enduring reconciliation. “This relationship cannot remain frozen in the past. The two peoples must reunite,” he said.
A newly opened 55-kilometer asphalt-gravel road between Axum and Rama has already begun facilitating movement, while the road from Rama to the Eritrean border, which stretches over 200 kilometers, is reportedly safe, according to local drivers. “The road beyond Rama is now secure,” one driver told The Reporter Magazine.
However, others warn that behind the ceremonial smiles lies a darker undercurrent.
“The bizarre images of reconciliation don’t reflect a genuine commitment to peace or reconciliation, noted Martin Plaut, a journalist and author specializing in the Horn of Africa. “What we’re seeing is a deepening ties between the TPLF’s dominant faction in Mekelle and the Eritrean regime in Asmara.”
Plaut drew unsettling parallels to the period preceding the outbreak of war in November 2020, noting the rhetorical convergence of Mekelle, Addis Ababa, and Asmara.
Back in Mekelle, Shewit Gebrezgabher, an assistant professor at Mekelle University, voiced similar concerns. He described the recent cooperation—referred to locally as tsimdo (collaboration)—between the TPLF and Eritrea’s ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) as strategic rather than sincere.
Shewit believes the alliance is aimed at countering a shared perceived threat: the Ethiopian federal government. “It has nothing to do with national-level relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, nor peace and development,” he said. “This is a tactical pact designed to deter any federal aggression.”
He also pointed to lingering post-war tensions, including the unresolved status of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the inconsistent withdrawal of Eritrean forces from contested areas such as Irob, Kunama, Badme, and Gemalo. Although Eritrean troops have reportedly vacated major roads, their presence continues to be felt in some areas.
“The reopened corridors serve narrow political and military interests,” Shewit said. “They facilitate covert coordination between the TPLF and PFDJ—not a broader social healing process.”
He further criticized the federal government for what he described as a negligent approach to securing Ethiopia’s northern frontier. “Unlike other borders, the Tigray-Eritrea boundary has been left exposed. This vacuum has allowed the TPLF-PFDJ relationship to flourish.”
Following the 2022 Pretoria Peace Agreement, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) quietly withdrew from key northern border areas—including the flashpoints of Zalambessa and Shiraro—without public explanation. The vacuum, analysts argue, further destabilized an already fragile region and allowed new alliances to form in the shadows.
Shewit believes these factors have only pushed the TPLF closer to the PFDJ. He was quick to note, however, that blaming the TPLF alone distorts the broader picture. “Singling out the TPLF is unfair,” Shewit said. “The federal government itself has failed to secure the border, leaving it unguarded by the ENDF. Unlike other borders, there is no serious monitoring here.”
Under Ethiopia’s federal constitution, foreign relations fall strictly within the jurisdiction of the central government. Any direct engagement between the TPLF and Eritrea, legal experts warn, could be seen as an overreach—if not an outright breach—of constitutional authority.
On the ground, civilians in border towns such as Adigrat, Axum, Adwa, and Shire report living in a climate of fear, caught between uncertainty and impunity.
“Criticizing the Eritrean government is now riskier in Tigray than criticizing the TPLF,” Shewit said, referring to the chilling effect of security threats and a recent incident of property confiscation by Eritrean troops in the Irob area.
Yet despite political tensions, trade along the newly resurfaced Axum–Rama corridor has resumed. A truck driver hauling consumer goods—detergents, cooking oil, and other staples—told The Reporter Magazine that the 40-kilometer stretch between Aksum and Rama is now paved with asphalt and relatively secure. “I’ve traveled back and forth without any problems,” he said.
Another driver operating between Mekelle and Rama described business as “mostly normal,” though he admitted to uncertainty in areas near the Eritrean border due to safety concerns.
Still, many observers view the TPLF-PFDJ rapprochement with deep suspicion.
“This isn’t about lasting peace,” said Mehari Solomon, a former journalist and regional affairs analyst. “It’s a superficial political maneuver.” Local communities along the Aksum-Rama route, he said, feel neglected—many without functioning infrastructure or their economic needs unmet. “People are frustrated. TPLF leaders are cutting ribbons while ignoring their suffering.”
He described the road inauguration as “staged,” a political performance rather than a genuine reconciliation. “The animosity stems from politicians, not the people. This road inauguration is a suspicious move, exploiting civilians for political gain.”
Unless there is neutral mediation and a transparent, inclusive process, Mehari warned, the alliance could descend into the same cycle of conflict. “The 2018 peace agreement failed because it lacked sincerity. This feels like another tactical maneuver to sidestep accountability for wartime atrocities.”
Mehari called for an internationally backed reconciliation process, grounded in truth and justice. True reconciliation, he argued, means confronting past mistakes, not repeating them.
Shewit on the other hand emphasized that had the federal government ensured robust border security, recent cross-border incursions could have been prevented. He also pointed to the urgency of restoring the pre-war territorial status quo in areas still under the control of Eritrean forces or internal militias.
Some voices from within the TPLF’s own ranks have also broken their silence.
“We can only save the Tigrayan people through cooperation with the federal government—that’s its constitutional duty,” said Keria Ibrahim, a former senior TPLF official, during the “Developments in Tigray: Challenges and Opportunities” forum held on June 27th, in Addis Ababa. “The people are Ethiopian, and we must operate under Ethiopian law.”
Yet, within the TPLF, Keria said, a prevailing belief remains—that Eritrea might once again intervene, either diplomatically or militarily, to “save the people.”
She described the ongoing cooperation as both overt and covert. “The real question is: how will the federal government respond? Can it disrupt this growing alliance?”
Keria joined Shewit in criticizing the government’s passive stance toward border security.
“Do we not have red lines, as a nation and as a people?” she asked. “Today, Eritrean troops cross the border freely. This is the issue that must be urgently addressed.”
Meanwhile, TPLF Chairman Debretsion presented a markedly different narrative. “The people-to-people ties between Tigray and Eritrea continue to grow stronger,” he said, promising efforts to foster “similar connections” with neighboring regions.
Yet as political elites tout reconciliation and connectivity, many on the ground remain wary.
