Who Are the Tigray Defense Forces TDF Omna Tigray

The Tigray Defense Forces (TDF) are an apolitical military organization that came into existence following the genocidal war waged byEthiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in collaboration with Amhara regional forces and the Eritrean government in November 2020.

Most recently, the TDF have been referred to as Tigray’s Armed Forces. The TDF have been protecting Tigrayans from genocidal actors throughout the war on Tigray. Tigrayans from different walks of life and professions have joined the TDF to put a stop to the atrocities committed on Tigrayans during the genocidal war.
Farmers, business owners, doctors, teachers, professors, college students, and survivors of the violence are a few examples of those who have joined the TDF to protect the people of Tigray in what is an existential battle.

Contrary to some misconceptions about the TDF, the organization is not affiliated with any political organization inTigray. In fact, many of the Tigrayan party leaders that ran against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) duringTigray’s 2020 elections joined the TDF soon after realizing the intent behind the war waged on Tigray in November 2020.

Prior to the war, Tigray had its own special forces that worked to maintain peace and order in the region.

The Ethiopian constitution allows regional states to have special forces. Almost all of Ethiopia’s regional states have special forces, as peace and security are a shared responsibility between the federal and regional state governments per the Ethiopian constitution.