The TPLF: From Liberator to Government and Finally to a Terrorist

[TLM Editorial Viewpoint]

When a nation faces a crisis and undergoes significant changes in its political, social, economic, or international stance, its political parties as a whole must take on much greater responsibilities than they would during peaceful times. Political parties, intellectuals, religious and civil society alike must share increased responsibility for the people of Tigray’s survival and well-being.

Choosing peace is the first and foremost choice, given the present visionless and dangerous TPLF leadership and its above-the-core generals who seem intent on pushing Tigray into war to conceal their misdeeds and escape accountability. The people of Tigray should demand in unison for the TPLF to stop human rights abuses and rhetoric war. Peaceful dialogue is the only way to solve the political crisis in Tigray.

On the other hand, the TPLF must accept reform to its political ideology. The reform may help rehabilitate it in Tigray. The irony is that the TPLF hasn’t found it difficult to make an alliance with Shaebia and Fano, who committed genocide in Tigray, but why does the TPLF find it difficult to reconcile and work together with opposition political parties in the national interest of Tigray? Where does the TPLF’s political interest lie, i.e., in Tigray or in Eritrea or in Ethiopia? The TPLF must not make decisions that put Tigray’s interest in danger. Tigray needs are innovative efforts to rebuild the fractured unity and mobilise the public to save Tigray from the political crisis and impending war that may lead to its disintegration.

After a 17-year struggle, the TPLF successfully defeated the fascist Derg with the support of the Tigrayan people. This victory marked a milestone for the people of Tigray’s journey toward democracy, justice, freedom, and liberty when the TPLF seized power in Ethiopia. The TPLF was initially praised for good governance and zero tolerance against corruption until 1995. In 1997, repression and human rights violations began to emerge. The TPLF continued its authoritarian rule with an iron grip like the brutal regimes of its predecessors: Emperor Menelik, Emperor Haile Selassie, and the Derg under Mengistu Haile Mariam. The people of Tigray’s expectations and hopes for democracy, good governance, and justice were short-lived and completely crushed by the TPLF’s betrayal to give up the principles of the liberation struggle for democracy, justice, and freedom.

Since the Pretoria peace agreement was signed on November 2, 2022, the people of Tigray have been dismayed by the TPLF betrayal over and over again in the handling of the peace process. The people of Tigray eagerly want to see the return of occupied territories and the safe return of IDPs. Also, they want to see democracy, good governance, justice, transparency and accountability. To the contrary of the people’s desires and expectations to have freedom and liberty, the TPLF has turned to its old habit of human rights abuses and is unleashing its terror on the people of Tigray. This disturbing turn has prompted even more demands for accountability and reform within the party, as many people push for a return to the principles of justice and democracy that sparked the revolution against the Derg in the first place.

The TPLF’s power struggle has exposed it, drawing widespread criticism for the lack of the rule of law and its human rights abuses in the region, leading to a significant reassessment of its legacy. Its political survival is badly damaged beyond repair. Tigrayan critics argue that the TPLF’s transition from liberation to oppression has not only abandoned its founding principles but has also sparked a cycle of conflict and mistrust among Tigrayans and Ethiopia’s diverse communities.

Still, the demands for democracy and justice have fallen on deaf ears. The TPLF has become even more ruthless in its human rights abuses. The TPLF is now resorting to violence by any means necessary to hold onto power following the genocidal war in Tigray.

There’s a growing sense of discontent among the people, and it seems the TPLF’s strategy is having the opposite effect. The people of Raya, Enderta, Wukro, Agame, Tembein, Shire, Aksum, and Adwa are coming together to demand change. As unrest is growing, local movements are emerging that champion a new leadership vision – one that prioritises the well-being of all Tigrayans over the TPLF’s narrow interests.

As the situation deteriorates, concerns are growing that the cycle of violence will exacerbate divisions and hinder the prospects of lasting peace in the region. Without collaborative efforts to address the grievances of all communities, the prospects for enduring peace are bleak.

Many Tigrayans in the Diaspora recognise that Tigray’s leadership must address the pressing issues through sober-mindedness, wisdom, and dialogue to rebuild the unity, free the occupied territories, and return the IDPs to their homes safely. These will help Tigray to recover its economy destroyed by the genocidal war and overcome the burdens of poverty, malnutrition, disease, and the unemployment crisis.

At worst, the TPLF has installed its “supporters at home and in the diaspora acting as its politicians” on the pedestal of power by nullifying the Constitution of Tigray. The most tragic part of the TPLF repression is that the TPLF has given unfettered freedom to its social media activists/propagandists to slander opponents and spread disinformation and misinformation, which is harming Tigray’s unity.

We, Tigrayans, are at a crossroads; we face a choice between irreconcilable conflict or dialogue. The dialogue can lead to a reform and unity. The politics of Tigray must be guided by ideas rather than controlled by an authoritarian and one-party system rule. The decisions Tigray leaders make in the coming crucial months will determine our future existence.

Tigray belongs equally to every Tigrayan, and each of us has the same rights. The people of Tigray have fought for democracy and justice. Democracy, justice, freedom, and liberty should be the foundations for our way of life in our homeland, Tigray.