[By Horn of Africa Geopolitical Review (HAGR)]
The Heinous Crimes of the Outlawed TPLF’s “Above-the-Core Generals”
Image Credit: Temesgen Dawit
In the historic town of Mekoni (መኾኒ), Southern Tigray, the outlawed TPLF ‘s “Above-the-Core” armed faction has once again committed a grave atrocity against its people. In a calculated and unprovoked assault, militias loyal to the TPLF criminal clique opened fire on unarmed civilians, executing a massacre that echoes the darkest chapters of Tigray’s recent history.
Entire families were shattered. Streets that once carried the rhythm of daily life were turned into corridors of blood and grief. What happened in Mekoni is not an isolated crime but part of a pattern of violent repression, mirroring the TPLF/EPRDF’s brutal suppression of the Oromo protests between 2014 and 2018.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), once hailed as a revolutionary force, degenerated into an authoritarian, totalitarian and human rights abuser regime during its 27 years in power under the EPRDF (1991–2018). Its rule was defined by corruption, the elimination of political opponents, and systemic human rights violations.
The Oromo Protests (2014–2018) became a watershed moment. Sparked by the unpopular Addis Ababa Master Plan, which aimed to expand the capital into Oromo farmland, these protests escalated into a nationwide revolution against repression and dispossession. The regime’s response was brutal: thousands killed, tens of thousands imprisoned, and yet—the people prevailed. By 2018, the TPLF’s dominance had collapsed under the weight of its own repression.
Today, the TPLF is repeating the same historical mistakes in Tigray that it had done in Oromia. The TPLF and its loyal Above-the-Core criminal network, entrenched in Mekelle and the 70 Enderta districts, mirrors the very policies that destroyed them once before. Land grabs, forced displacement, corruption, and violent suppression of dissent have re-emerged. Worst of all, these elites have aligned themselves with Eritrea’s genocidal regime, betraying the very people they once claimed to defend.
This report offers a comprehensive historical and geopolitical analysis, drawing direct parallels between the Oromo protests that ended TPLF rule and the present crisis in Tigray.
Historical Lessons — TPLF/EPRDF’s Authoritarian Legacy
1. A 27-Year TPLF/EPRDF’s Regime Built on Authoritarianism
The TPLF-led EPRDF governed through the “developmental state” ideology, masking one-party dominance. Independent political activity was crushed, journalists silenced, and civil society dismantled. Ethno-federalism and corruption were manipulated to maintain power, deepening national grievances across Ethiopia.
2. The Oromo Protests: A Cry for Justice
The Oromo protests were triggered by the 2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan, which aimed to expand the city at the expense of Oromo farmland and livelihoods. Farmers were stripped of land without consultation or compensation. Protests escalated into a broad movement demanding democracy, human rights, and an end to authoritarianism.
3. State Repression: Guns Against the People
Security forces used live ammunition on peaceful demonstrators. Human Rights Watch documented hundreds of deaths, while local activists cited thousands killed and disappeared.
Rather than reform, the regime intensified its violence that is accelerating its collapse.
4. From Protest to Revolution
The Oromo youth movement inspired solidarity across Ethiopia: Amhara, Somali, and Southern activists joined the wave of resistance. By 2018, Ethiopia faced a revolutionary moment: the TPLF was forced to retreat to Mekelle, stripped of national power, and its downfall was sealed by its arrogance, corruption, and reliance on using brutal force.
The Present Day—The TPLF is continuing its Repression in Tigray
1. The TPLF and its loyal “Above-the-Core” Criminal Network
Today, remnants of the TPLF leadership and its loyal Above-the-Core generals—continue their authoritarian rule that destroyed them nationally.
In Mekelle and the 70 Enderta districts, they orchestrate land grabs, urban dispossession, and violent suppression of dissent. The people of Tigray denounce them as illegitimate rulers clinging to power through fear.
2. Brutal Land Grabs and Urban Dispossession
Expansion projects in Mekelle uproot families without consultation and compensation, leaving them landless and homeless. Lands around Mekelle are seized by corrupt TPLF, generals and their networks.
The same injustice that Oromo farmers suffered under the Addis Ababa Master Plan is now inflicted on Tigrayan farmers in cities, towns abnd villages in Tigray.
3. The TPLF’s Response: Guns Once Again
The peaceful protesters are met with violence in Adigudom, Semari, Wukro, Mekhoni and elsewhere. Kidnappings, arbitrary arrests, and assassinations are carried out to silence protesters, who demand democracy, human rights abuses to end, and their rights to be respected.
The cycle of “land grab → protest → repression → human rights abuses” is now entrenched in Tigray.
4. Betrayal and Collaboration with Eritrean Regime and Fano
The TPLF and its loyal Above-the-Core generals collude with Eritrea’s regime and Fano, which is responsible for genocide in Tigray. By conspiring with the Eritrean regime and Fano, they align with the historic enemies that are still committing genocide against the people of Tigray and betraying Tigray’s sovereignty. This act of treachery strips them of all political and moral legitimacy.
Repeated Strategic Mistakes
1. The Fatal Repetition of Mistakes
The Oromo protests demonstrated that guns cannot silence legitimate demands for justice. The TPLF and its loyal Above-the-Core generals have failed to learn the Oromo protests lesson, repeating the same repressive and human rights abuses in Tigray.
2. Collapse of Legitimacy
Just as Oromo resistance exposed the TPLF illegitimacy in Ethiopia, Tigrayan resistance now exposes the TPLF and its loyal Above-the-Core generals as politically illegitimate and bankrupt criminals. Their authority now rests only on coercion and corruption—not good governance and popular support
3. Political, Security, and Diplomatic Defeat
The TPLF and its loyal Above-the-Core generals are isolated and distrusted by the federal government of Ethiopia, rejected by reformists in Tigray, and despised by the people of Tigray. Internationally, they are viewed as outlaws with no recognition or diplomatic standing.
4. A Warning from History
The fall of the TPLF in Ethiopia was triggered by its arrogance, repression, land grabs, and human rights abuses. Today, the TPLF and its loyal Above-the-Core generals are repeating the same path of self-destruction—but this time, it is not Ethiopia that will expel them, but the people of Tigray themselves.
The Inevitable Demise of the TPLF and its Loyal Above-the-Core Generals
The TPLF’s history is a cautionary tale of a revolution that betrayed its own repressive ideology. Its brutal suppression of Oromo protests exposed its authoritarian nature and paved the way for its fall in 2018.
Now, the TPLF and its loyal Above-the-Core generals in Tigray mirror that same repression — from land and gold theft to massacres like Mekoni, from silencing dissent to collaborating with the enemies of Eritrean regime and Fano. Their end is inevitable.
History delivers the same verdict in Oromia and Tigray alike. The TPLF and its loyal Above-the-Core generals that turn their guns against the people will be expelled from power by the people who are demanding democracy, freedom and liberty.
ህዝቢ መኾኒ ማዕበላዊ ሰላማዊ ሰልፊ ድሕራሪ ጨፍጫፍ መኾኒ – “ካብ መሬት ራያ ውፁ”