Our Perspective on the Current Miscalculation of the TPLF Political Drama

[TLM Editorial Viewpoint]

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” ~ Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

A vicious cycle has taken hold in Tigray, where the interim government has become even more crippled and less able to govern, and the people of Tigray have lost confidence in the leadership and institutions. Massive criminal acts, political violence, and the decline of security and the economy are core problems threatening Tigray’s existence. The people of Tigray are worried about their daily survival fate. It is such an irony that those claiming to fight oppression and persecution are actually fuelling a campaign of division, chaos, oppression and human rights abuses.

The Betrayal

Although the warlords led by Debretsion and Fetlework (መንጀሪኖ), with numerous corrupt arrangements behind the scenes, had agreed to represent fifty-one percent, they continued to prioritize their personal interests over fundamental issues, such as the return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the territorial integrity of Tigray. The expectations for meeting the basic needs and ensuring the security, freedom, good governance and democratic rights for the people are far from being met, and many are wondering whether there will ever be a leadership change. The political drama intended to suppress or manipulate public perception of our TDF heroes should be condemned. We can see how such political discourse leads to widespread efforts to escape accountability.

It is truly upsetting for any decent person to see images of angry, wounded, and destitute former TDF fighters being humiliated, degraded, or even imprisoned by rogue and warlord generals. The human rights abuses and the reckless killing of civilians prove once again that “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

The Interim Government Cabinet has now approved giving free land to the above core generals that was recommended by the TPLF leadership to buy their loyalty. This will result in displacing people and farmers from their land in Mekele and surrounding areas. It is beyond belief that the TDF fighters were once again betrayed, for the promises were made short-lived, already forgotten and unfulfilled by the TPLF leadership and the Interim President Taddesse Werede. They are robbing Tigray of its resources to accumulate their personal wealth while people are starving to death in IDPs sites. The TDF fighters should learn they will not get justice and their rights respected. The only solution is to replace the corrupt TPLF political system with a genuine democratic system that is just and equitable for all Tigrayans.

Many innocent people have suffered greatly under the TPLF’s repressive and authoritarian rule. Many fathers and mothers died with broken hearts and were devastated. Many were pushed into poverty after losing what they had worked for decades. Many are still living with the psychological scars of their experiences inflicted on them.

The editor of Tigray Liberty Media (TLM) clearly states this strategy, reflecting an inclusive approach that invites people of all ages, genders, marginalized groups, the under-represented, and everyone in the community to have their voices heard. Currently, Tigray is unable to achieve peace or maintain security and stability politically, socially and economically. The corrupt TPLF and its warlord generals and their supporters hoard wealth, exploiting the genocidal war to their advantage to enrich themselves while the displaced and starving people continue to suffer and face death. As a result, justice and accountability have become ever more distant for the people of Tigray.

Tigray possesses valuable minerals, and gold plays a crucial role in the ongoing social, political, and economic crises caused by the TPLF leadership. The TPLF continues to control physically with tight grips and ideologically bars Tigray from fully utilizing its resources for the benefit of the people, as it did before the war. Now, Tigray is known as the world’s gold exporter, despite struggling to feed its people and relying on aid from the western governments and NGOs.

The Ethiopian Army, Eritrean Defence Forces, Amhara Fano and Amhara special forces led to dismantle the TPLF.  Over a million lives brutal murdered. 286,250 women and girls were raped and sexually abused (CITG report, October 2025). Hospitals, schools, universities, churches, mosques, factories, and healthcare facilities were destroyed. By committing such atrocities, both the Amhara, Eritrea and Oromo leaders aimed to reshape the federation’s territorial map and diminish Tigray’s territorial integrity.

The current political declaration by the TPLF and its warlord generals poses the biggest threat to the people of Tigray’s survival, which is very difficult for Tigrayans to accept. According to the Pretoria agreement, the two-year-old interim government reportedly has not implemented reforms, and the people of Tigray have lost faith in the interim government and its capacity to govern, secure peace, return the IDPs and free the occupied territories of Tigray. It is unbelievable that the current TPLF leaders would invite the brutal, murderous rapist regime of Isaias Afewerki. Isaias inflicted a harrowing and senseless genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing against the people of Tigray.

The Miscalculation of Strategic Alliance

Over many years, the TPLF had a complex relationship with Shaebia. How is it possible that the TPLF is an “ally” with the brutal Shaebia, which refuses to stop killing, kidnapping, raping, forcefully changing Tigrayans’ identity and spreading its hateful, misogynistic, anti-Tigrayan messages? How can we tolerate Shaebia, which has shamefully enabled terrorists and can still claim to be an ally? Amid all this chaos, no one is focusing on Tigray’s interests or the future of its people. What we observe are Tigray leaders who, in almost every case, have shockingly limited abilities to meet the basic societal needs.

The idea of an alliance (ፅምዶ) with Shaebia and Fano is very risky and could provoke a backlash that might ignite the conscience of those savage beasts involved in the Tigray genocide. Shaebia and Fano aimed to eliminate the TPLF and the people of Tigray; such narcissistic groups lack trust and moral integrity. For Fano, it was an opportunity to own Tigray history and territories through the Amhara expansion policy. For Abiy, it was an ideal chance to dismantle TPLF’s leadership and disband the TPLF from the political arena, removing a major obstacle to his goal of total control to realise his kingship.

Having an ally is not just a theoretical goal but also reflects a strong moral conviction. Why has the TPLF chosen Shaebia and Fano as its strategic allies? It is a betrayal for people of Tigray, not a strategy. The miscalculated alliance with Shaebia and Fano, who committed atrocity crimes, has triggered a political crisis and mistrust against the TPLF. The alliance (ፅምዶ) raises many questions. The Amhara Fano expansionist policy is the main danger for Tigray, which spreads their racist hate and misinformation, fuelling resentment among the Tigray population. Whereas Shaebia wants to use Tigray as cannon fodder, making Tigray a battlefield if Abiy wages war against Eritrea.

So what is the benefit for the TPLF from the alliance with Shaebia and Fano? To state the obvious, the TPLF is hoping to take power back in Addis Ababa to escape accountability. But the people of Tigray won’t benefit from the alliance anything whatsoever except suffering, loss of lives and destruction.

We wonder why we are governed by such treacherous individuals who exploit patriotic Tegaru as cannon fodder to advance their twisted, destructive and repressive ideology. Maybe this incident reveals how badly we, Tegaru, have failed by trusting the despicable, brutal traitors of the TPLF leaders and their warlord generals. This would ignite any patriotic Tegaru fighters into uncontrollable rage. Our pain, suffering, and hope for Tigray’s future blinded us to the enemies within the TPLF ranks, disguised as liberators. We must now understand that the conspiracies of the TPLF leadership and Sebhat Nega are mainly proud of repressing the people of Tigray and destroying Tigray.

The people of Tigray now have a clear opportunity to remove the TPLF and its harmful and repressive ideology and replace it with a democratic system. The young generation must lead to take over the power from TPLF and his warlord generals to protect Tigray from another war.

TLM strongly encourages the young generation to learn from the TPLF’s repeated dreadful mistakes that have caused the loss of over a million lives and the ruin of livelihoods. Functional lunacy needs to be replaced with clear thinking. We must seek the truth. We must stand for justice. We must hold human rights violators accountable. Nursing our wounds won’t lead us anywhere. TLM emphasizes that the youth must not support any political party without thoroughly understanding their democratic objectives and values first.

The TPLF has put the party before civil liberties and constitutional and democratic rights, setting us back a century. The TPLF must take responsibility for the polarized political situation in Tigray today, which is entirely due to the relentless pursuit of the TPLF leadership and warlord generals’ narrow and selfish agenda. The Pretoria Peace Agreement, despite the massive waste of time and the loss of over a million lives, has failed to bring peace, security and stability [democracy] to Tigray.

While we appreciate honest feedback, it’s essential to emphasize that our reputation’s trustworthiness hinges on honesty, respect for the press and free speech, and transparency with the people of Tigray. This goodwill functions as social capital that can back political initiatives. People’s voices must be heard because their needs are urgent. Without people and freedom, a repressive political party will not survive longer.