Religious leaders in the Tigray region are working to mend fences and promote peace amid a deepening schism within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that has left the area unsettled.

The religious leaders successfully facilitated a meeting between TPLF leaders Debretsion Gebremichael and Getachew Reda in Mekele on Friday, where they pledged to bridge their divisions and strengthen unity. This marks the first direct talks between the two factions since the split emerged in August 2024.

In a statement issued by religious leaders, both TPLF factions committed to resolving their differences peacefully, with a focus on the interests of the Tigrayan people and Ethiopia. “We are religious leaders, not politicians. We urged both parties to address their issues through political means, and they agreed,” the statement read.