The frontline voices: Tigrayans speak on the realities of life under an

It should be noted that interview questions focused mainly on the experi- ence of each individual in the Tigray regional state and their individual cross- border journeys; the recruitment, training and deployment experience of the fighters; the circumstances that brought the individuals to the camps; the conditions and treatment received prior to arriving, and during their stay, at the camps; and,. [...] In contrast, 78 percent of respondents shared their concern over being di- rected by TPLF leaders not to surrender to the ENDF and “to take their own life before surrendering to the enemy.” With many of the fighters having wit- nessed the impact of the new proclamations introduced in Tigray after the unilateral ceasefire, and having commented on how many of the regional administrators had been kil. [...] In this context, 64 percent of those interviewed underscored the need for the constitution to change as it was felt that the current one facilitated and supported the TPLF’s “divide and rule” ideology; 78 percent of the fighters interviewed commented on the fact that the TPLF’s wealth accumulation had The frontline voices: 10 Tigrayans speak on the realities of life under an insurgency regime C O. [...] Some respondents referred to a lack of any meaningful opposition parties in Tigray to “offer choices for the people.” Almost all respondents raised the is- sue of the “one in five” intelligence network that artificially empowered the “one” of the “five,” repressed the people’s voice, and monitored their move- ments. [...] The federal government should work with the wider international donor community to ensure that the needs of the the approximately 16,000 Tigrayan IDPs in both the Awash Basin and Jarra IDP camps are supported.