Tigray People’s Liberation Front: Liberation from What/Whom?

The picture at the top is a screenshot of a video posted by Ermias Legesse of Addis Compass. I was unable to hold my tears when I watched the video where mothers, somewhere in southern Tigray, are praying to God in a manner so moving that one cannot help but cry. Why! Why! Why! The women are terrified about another war. They are rolling on the ground and spraying dust on their heads and faces. They don’t blame anyone; they are simply appealing to God to send His mercy from the heavens. Mercy from the heavens? God has not been sending them war from the heavens! The source is not that far away. God is not so cruel. He does not rain war on His innocent creatures. The source of their problem is in their own homes: their self-centered sons and daughters. “God helps those who help themselves”. First get rid of the evil spirits that came out of your wombs, instead of helping them to destroy you and then blame God for what happens to you. Help neither comes from God nor from anywhere else as long as you refrain from cleaning up your own mess in your own backyard. If you do that for your own sake then God will help you with the rest. Then would prayer become proper.

Liberation: What is it?

The dictionary definition of the term liberation is: “the act or process of freeing someone or something from another’s control”. The key phrase in the definition is: “another’s control”. Liberation from “another’s control” becomes a fallacy when the control is not by another but by “your own”. If the term liberation is fixed to mean only freeing from the control by another what term could be used to express freedom from control by your own? This is the paradox the people of Tigray have been living in for over a century. The paradox turned into a Gordian knot threatening not only the Region but also Ethiopia and the Horn. In sheer ignorance and self-neglect the people of Tigray nurtured a “liberation” movement from which they must have liberated themselves a long time ago. When the calf became a bull a red scarf cannot save the matador.

Historical Background

After Emperor Yohannes IV died heroically in Metema, it became clear to the world that the senior and junior nobility of the Region were held together only by the might of Yohannes IV. The nobility wasted no time to scatter, build their own camps, and recruit their own armies in their own home-bases throughout the Region. Some of them were legitimate heirs to the throne of Ethiopia; but they agreed to disagree and preferred to fight among each other.
Obviously, they don’t fight each other; it is the ordinary people who happily fight each other on their behalf. They messed up the Region for 40 years until Italians arrived. Mind you, the internecine war was stopped by the Italians who invaded Ethiopia. Isn’t this a freak DNA when people prefer to fight than prosper in peace? Solomon Yohannes got it right when he said “War is a tradition in Tigray”! Unfortunately, it is the kind of tradition tourists would never like to visit.
When Menilik II saw that the quarrelsome and good for nothing nobility of Tigray would never threaten him for the throne he used the wisdom and patience of the nobility around him and was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia. Tigrean warlords were furious. May be they were naïve enough to expect Menilik II to wait for them until they finish killing each other and claim the throne. For how long was Menilik expected to wait for the heir to decide to take the throne? Forty years? Menilik is a human being; not even an angel would wait for the selfish bunch of nobility who had no idea about what they were doing to their people.
As the ignorant warriors in Tigray fought one another endlessly Menilik was strengthening not only the economy and the army but also the administration of the state. With a sober statecraft Showa shaped Ethiopia after its own image. Who is to blame for the situation in Tigray? Is it Menilik? He was trying repeatedly to appoint his own envoy to the Region with the aim of pacifying and control. Most of his envoys did not last long enough in Tigray. They were unable to manage the Region.
The warring nobility in Tigray did not want administrator from outside but each one of them wanted to be appointed as king of Tigray by Menilik. The sick irony was the nobility of Tigray were accusing Menilik in a mirror and blaming him for “controlling them and making them fight against each other”. Let us assume that a Tigray liberation movement was started in those years. According to the definition of liberation the goal of the movement would have been “liberation from Menilik’s rule”.
Here comes the fallacy. Was Menilik really ruling Tigray? Of course, he was appointing directly by sharing the warring nobility the districts in Tigray. They were not objecting to his appointments but to the size and number of districts they were appointed to. Menilik was doing this in order to reduce the bloodshed that could have resulted from when the appointments are left for the bullets to decide. That liberation movement could rightly call or freedom from the Tigray nobility not the “other” (Menilik) as per the definition of liberation.
One evidence among many in which external rule by Menilik was more benign than the rule by the Regional warlords is as follows: When Dejach Abraha, one of the top warlords, heavily taxed them the people refused to pay. Those who refused to pay were severely punished physically and financially. No one expects Menilik II, who is considered to be an enemy in Tigray, to be furious about what Dejace Abraha did. Menilik fined Abraha thousands of thalers and warned him against further penalties on the people.
Can you guess what happened next? I am sure you will tell me Menilik was “thanked for his kindness”. Since this is what normally thinking people do, the expectation is appropriate. You cannot believe what the people did! They encouraged Abraha (who penalized them) to rebel against Menilik! After 80 years exactly the same thing is happening. Unless something is included in the DNA nothing survives for 80 years.
One more for the road! Until Emperor Haile Selassie took the throne long after Menilik, warlords of Tigray were still fighting. Haile Selassie was a more benevolent despot and decided to end the autonomy of regional governors throughout Ethiopia. Assisted by his educated advisors he assigned technocratic governors or envoys in all regions except in Tigray. His advisors insisted that Haile Selassie replaces the warlords in Tigray by more educated leaders. His answer was similar to what may be in PM Abiy Ahmed’s mind. Haile Selassie said: “The people of Tigre love their hereditary rulers”. That means, however cruel and selfish they may be. “If you make your bed you must lie on it”.
How can you cure these people who are suffering from the “Stockholm syndrome” and help them think straight like normal human beings? Normal people cannot tolerate oppressors whether they are their sons and daughters or they come from distant places. Warlords in all ages have put these words on the lips of ordinary Tigreans: “Under all circumstances, even as your very livelihood is at stake, “Showa (Amhara) is your enemy; all Tigreans are your friends”. This is the same as “Four legs good; two legs bad”. Later on, the four legged pigs became the worst enemies of Animal Farm. Still more dangerous brainwashing is: “Love Eritreans, because they are your blood relatives even if they massacre you, rob you, and rape you”. Those who are affected are silenced; those that benefited from the war or at least are not affected are the noisiest! “Brother killer”, “Brother rapper”, “Brother robber”….

Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)

On February 18, 2025 TPLF is going to celebrate its 50 years of founding. Fifty years is a “Golden Jubilee”. Here, everything is in a name! The coincidence is amazing. The anniversary coincides with the year in which the greatest quantity of gold was robbed from Tigray by civil and military leaders associated with TPLF. Was this the kind of liberation of Tigray envisaged 50 years ago? Neglecting its starving and displaced millions? What a wronged definition of liberation!
TPLF has been a liberation movement for 50 years. Was it liberation from the Monarchy which was already dead by the time TPLF was founded? Was it liberation from the Military rule which took power only a few months before TPLF was founded? Was Military rule a threat to Tigray at that time and a liberation movement for Tigray was needed as a reaction to save people? Military rule was composed of significant number of Tigrean officers who were at the top decision making levels.
When the Military was rounding up governors of all provinces of Ethiopia they did not arrest the hereditary governor of Tigray (Ras Mengesha Seyoum). He went for exile by himself. Military rule on the eve of the founding of TPLF was the harshest on the Showan nobility. The first to found a liberation movement must have been politicians of Showa not Tigray. The founding of TPLF as a liberation movement has had a mysterious motivation. After so much harm was done on the people of Ethiopia and Tigray it was known that TPLF was a stubborn proxy of the Eritrean liberation movement. There was little need for a liberation movement for Tigray in 1974-75. Tigray was then used and later abused by its sons and daughters who became super Eritreans.
TPLF was meant to liberate Tigray as its name implied for 17 years. Strangely, it liberated Eritrea and ruled Ethiopia. It must go to the Guinness Book of Records where liberation movement rules its colonizer: Mugabe becomes King of England that means. Idi Amin was serious when he claimed to be the last king of Scotland. Where did the need for liberating Tigray disappear? In the first couple of years, some of the leaders of TPLF wanted it to look like a liberation movement for real. They did not have anything else to convince the people to die for the “cause” of TPLF. If they had told the people of Tigray that they are helping Eritreans to be free people could have swallowed them on day one. They drafted a programe proclaiming “Tigray Republic”.
“The Republic” disappeared soon after it was drafted. EPLF must have barked at those who drafted it: “I am to be liberated, not you! Do the job I assigned you to do properly!”. Then TPLF would say: “Yes Master!”. TPLF continued to carry the name “liberation” that did not have any functional meaning. Of course, it helped them a lot to alienate Tigreans from Ethiopians by putting them under perpetual suspicion and hate. Helpless and alienated Tigreans became endless stock of cannon fodders for TPLF’s war ambitions: First, war to help Eritrean independence; next war to fight competing Eritrea for the resources and market of Ethiopia; and the last one, war to survive and regain
Federal power.
The most perplexing of all is why TPLF retained “liberation” in its name while it was ruling Ethiopia from Arat Kilo. If the name Tigray People’s Liberation Front is to be a valid name of a ruling party of Ethiopia it has to shed its regional name and its liberation objective. Eritrean People’s Liberation Front is ruling Eritrea not Ethiopia. Algerian Liberation Front is ruling Algeria not France. Why should Tigray Liberation Front rule Ethiopia if its initial mission is to liberate Tigray as its name clearly implies? Liberation means liberation. No other convenient meaning can be given to it. Does ruling Ethiopia mean liberating Tigray? What kind of convenient illogic is this?
One may think of a conspiracy theory in which ruling Ethiopia by TPLF is a strategy to facilitate for the liberation of Tigray once the state apparatus in Ethiopia is controlled and paralyzed. If this was the idea so much fighting to capture Addis Ababa, in 1991, was not necessary. By 1989 Ethiopian rule over Tigray had ended. Tigray remained in the hands of TPLF “independent’ from Ethiopia. Liberation of Tigray could have been declared without any difficulty. Many of the TPLF fighters had insisted on declaring independence then.

The whole time TPLF fighters were indoctrinated with the idea of the liberation of Tigray; but the leaders were deceiving them. Liberation was for Eritrea and death was for TPLF fighters. In such a grave situation of gross deception people would normally go out in a rebellion. The people of Tigray complain; but never act. This is what emboldens TPLF leaders and commanders. Why did TPLF rule Ethiopia as a “liberation” movement of Tigray? Mission No. 1 Facilities the liberation of Eritrea by putting all Ethiopian laws and institutions under control. Mission No. 2 Remove Eritrea as a competitor by allowing its liberation and then enjoy Ethiopia’s resources and huge market on TPLF’s dining table. Mission No.3 the mention of the word “liberation” is intimidating for Ethiopians. TPLF ruled by instilling fear in Ethiopians of another independent state: fear of disintegration of Ethiopia.
When TPLF was at the helm in Addis Ababa for 30 years it was a liberation movement that fought against a government of Ethiopia led by the liberation movement itself! Literally, TPLF was fighting against itself to liberate Tigray! This is cosmic science only Stephen Hawking can understand. TPLF at Arat Kilo was such a puzzle that few noticed how much economically lionized it has become. Its network is so strong and complex, involving media, business tycoons, politicians, and army officers pooled by birth place affiliations. Tigreans allowed TPLF to weave its spider web so systematically that now Tigreans have found it almost impossible to untangle themselves from the trap.
To cut a long story short TPLF leaders and associated army commanders, feeling that their days are going to be over soon, as long as the pro-change Interim Government of Tigray remains in office, declared war against the Regional government. The declaration implies the end of the Pretoria Agreement, stalling the process of the DDR and return of the displaced, continue the robbery in the gold mines and terrorize the people as war with the Federal Government becomes imminent. The picture at the top shows how horrified the people have become. People are flocking to banks and to Addis Ababa. There is panic in the Capital; created by whom? By the Federal Government? No! By the problem children of Tigray. So liberation from them!
TPLF is accusing the Interim Government for collaborating with the Federal Government and has decided to overthrow it. If a spirit of liberation from Ethiopia has started to haunt TPLF then it has to stop begging the Federal Government for the presidency of the Region. TPLF never ever planned to liberate Tigray. Its eyes are on Arat Kilo and its bridge is Tigray. This is exactly like what was happening during the warlord era 80 years ago. The warlords used to travel to Addis Ababa and ask Menilik to appoint them as king of Tigray. Menilik favors one and dumps the other. The one who lost favor from Menilik accused the other as “Menilik collaborator” and fights him when they return home.

Debretsion was begging Abiy to appoint him as president of Tigray. When his request failed he is accusing Getachew for collaborating with the PM! This is sheer jealousy and dishonesty. This is replicating what happened 80 years ago! Sadly, theis is given a very appealing name: “Saving Tigray from enemy collaborators”! A general in Tigray says it all: “Generation of Tigray must be prepared for martyrdom. It can take 50 or 60 years”. The chairman of the TPLF also says something extremely cruel: “We give priority to saving TPLF not returning the displaced to their homes”.

These are the kinds of people who are calling themselves liberators of Tigray while in reality they are the killers of Tigray. President of the Interim Government is no different. He is trying to more effectively save TPLF. He is wavering between the people and TPLF. This is a dangerous position. TPLF weather led by Getachew or Debretsion must come to an end if peace, democracy and development are to prevail in Tigray. Power is the only motive driving the political leaders of Tigray. That is why they don’t hesitate to sleep with the enemy.
TPLF’s alliance with Eritrean Government means transferring the blame for the genocide in Tigray from Shabia to TPLF. Because TPLF is acquitting Eritrea by allying with it, it takes its place as engineer of the genocide. Its eyes on Arat Kilo, not on the people, TPLF is calculating the balance of forces: “Now Abiy Ahmed is in bad terms with Amhara and Eritrea. This seemed a blessing for the TPLF to forge alliance with Eritrea and overthrow Abiy Ahmed. We can paint a few scenarios:

SCENARIO 1. TPLF wins and then loses

TPLF overthrows the Interim government of Tigray, forges an alliance with Eritrea and Amhara Fano and marches to Addis Ababa. Is TPLF ready for its six percent and eventual invisibility? The answer to this could be ‘Yes’, because it may be enough for TPLF to control Tigray forever with a tyrannical and corrupt government. The assumption here is Eritrea will stop short of entering and controlling Addis Ababa. This assumption is not valid because Eritrea will use TPLF and Fano to control Ethiopia and rob it forever. It has a mission to help Egypt destroy GERD and no one can save it. If TPLF objects to Eritrean domination in Addis Ababa and any actions on GERD that will mark the end of TPLF. Even if it supports Eritrean action Ethiopians will chase it back again. TPLF will lose and it will take down Ethiopia with it. No one can believe that OLA and Fano will rule Ethiopia in harmony.

SCENARIO 2. TPLF loses and is in deep trouble

PM Abiy becomes proactive and continues to assist anti-Isaias groups. The Eritrean opposition will stand against TPLF and destroy its political foundation in the international community as a collaborator with the tyranny in Eritrea. With the armed insurrection in Eritrea Isaias will find it difficult to devote his forces to help TPLF to march to Arat Kilo. If Isias decides to weaken the Eritrean opposition from Ethiopia he may divide his forces into two. This will cause further weakness for Isaias. If Isaias is weakened Abiy Ahmed may try to take over Assab. If he succeeds in doing so he will gain support in Ethiopia. That will mark the end of TPLF and the arrest and court case of TPLF leaders and commanders. The crimes they committed for 50 years will be in court desk. Desperate they may try the last action of Al Queda suicide bomber. Fano and OLA may negotiate with Abiy Ahmed and alienating TPLF. Federal Government completely controls Tigray, declare state of emergency, and sets up a martial court to try and sentence criminals.

SCENARIO 3. Win-Win If TPLF Stops acting like an outlaw

TPLF becomes just like any party in Tigray and cooperate with the NEBE in its registration process. Apologize for the declared coup and war which terrorized the people. Prepare itself for the opening of legal cases against it for the wrong things it did during the armed struggle, during its tenure at Arat Kilo, in the recent Tigray war and the aftermath. It must allow the Interim Government to function by removing the obstructions from the lower levels of administration. Gold robbery and other actions for enrichment of the leaders and commanders be immediately halted and sued. Returning of the IDPs and restoration start as soon as possible. Stop contacting Eritrean authorities without approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Facilitate the DDR process and Federal troops taking over the protection of the borders.

Tigray Military Council to Hold a Crucial Meeting on Monday