Tigray Defense Forces

The Tigray Defense Forces, colloquially called the Tigray Army, is a paramilitary organization located in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. It was founded by former generals of the Ethiopian military in 2020 to combat federal forces enforcing national government mandates in the Tigray region, culminating in the outbreak of the Tigray War that same year. The TDF has made use of guerilla tactics and strategies. Human rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have reported that the TDF has committed war crimes against civilians including gang rape and extrajudicial killing during their occupation of both the Afar and Amhara regions. According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice, TDF combatants have been found liable for upwards of 540 civilians casualties. as of 28 December 2021.