Terrorist TPLF’s Chameleonic Nature, Its Politics of Deception and Lies

Terrorist TPLF’s Chameleonic Nature, Its Politics of Deception and Lies BY SOLOMON DIBABAThe history of terrorist TPLF for over 47 years is marred with political demagogy, deception, hatred and betrayal. Ever since its establishment on February 18, 1975, TPLF has been engaged not only on false propaganda related to the history of Ethiopia but was shifting from one ideological position to the other.

This terrorist organization grasped the most confused version of as an ethno-nationalistic ideology of what it called self-determination of nations. For instance in 1975, terrorist TPLF declared in its infamous Tigray Manifesto that declared:“The people of Tigray encompass all those who live in and outside of Tigray.

These would mean Tigraygna speaking Afar (Tiltal), Agaw. Saho, Kunama etc. Tigrian territory extends to Alewuha, Mereb River in the north and westward, to Wolkayit and Telemit”The document falsely infers that everyone who lives in Tigray, irrespective of his or her ethnic background is Tigrian and that the above mentioned districts which are located in Amhara rand Afar region all belong into Tigray.

This shows the irredentist wish of the terrorist organization. The document claims that everyone who speaks Tigrigna is a Tigrian even if he or she lives outside of the current Tigray region. The tradition of lies and deception is intertwined with the very identity of terrorist TPLF right from the beginning.

The concept of self-determination up to secession which was later incorporated into the 1995 constriction was deliberately provided not as such from the perspective of the real meaning of the concept but to provide a legal framework for the creation of what terrorist TPLF called Tigray State using secession provided in article 39 of the constitution.In his doctoral dissertation entitled “Political history of the Tigray People Liberation Front (1975- 1991). Revolt, Ideology and Mobilization, 2008, Amsterdam, Dr. Aregawi Berehe wrote:“There were no other historical, legal or political provisions that substantiated the arguments for secession.

This idea of secession was contemplated only by a section of the leadership that with Eriksen’s term (1993) might be called ‘ethnic entrepreneurs’ and not by the rank and file or the people of Tigray, who constituted one of the main historic cores of the Ethiopian polity. This extreme position was one source of subsequent divisions in the organization. In 1978, the secession option was proclaimed to have been dropped, after pressure mounted from an internal opposition and also from other Ethiopians and friends.” 

In 1978, terrorist TPLF temporarily dropped its ethno-centric secessionist nationalism and embraced what it called Marxist Leninist Mao Tse Dong Thought and in 1985, it established a political party called Marxist Leninist League Tigray.

The infamous document tries to wrongly relate class struggle with the movement for self determination of nations in the most amateurish analysis which confused class interest with ethnocentric, exclusive and egoistic narrow nationalism with a cover up with “democratic nationalism.”

The document states that : “Currently the production relation in the country resulted in class oppression which also culminated in national oppression. Remaining cognizant of the fact that the national freedom for Tigray can be achieved only through armed struggle and not through the reformist strategy designed by the fascist military government, we have established a front called Marxist Leninist League Tigray to conduct a national democratic revolution as a form of social revolution.”

The document notes that it “supports the struggle of the People of Palestine and supported their struggle against Zionism and US imperialism, However, after coming to power in 1991, terrorist TPLF abandoned its distorted Marxist Leninist Mao Tse Dong Thought and Enver Hoxa teachings and embraced the western pattern of thinking to lure the west to its side.

This helped to strengthen the initial economic liberalization that was issued by the terrorist TPLF dominated Transition Government. The original Marxist Leninist ideology was replaced by another eclectic ideology of revolutionary democracy which was a marked departure from the original Marxist Dogma.

Terrorist TPLF’s ideological stance shifts in line with the interest of the elite group that was entrenched in the organization. Later on the concept of developmental state shrouded with the vested interest of using the national resources of the country was coined as a window dressing for the hidden motives of creating Greater Tigray.

Terrorist TPLF current leadership still languishes in its unchanged demagogic mindset which will never synchronize with the objective reality in the country.

In his latest marathon press briefings, disgruntled by the defeat that the terrorist forces are suffering in the hands of ENDF, Amhara Special Forces, Militia, Fano and Afar Special Forces and Militia, the terrorist TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael came up with five objectives that his terrorist organization intends to accomplish.

First, despite the JIT conclusions made by the UN Human Rights Commission and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission upon the investigations jointly conducted in Tigray and which was accepted by 16 countries across the world including the USA, from his makeshift Container office, Debretshion still laments about genocide conducted in Tigray beating on the same old drum with no legal or logical evidence to support its views.

If at all genocide was conducted in Ethiopia, it was conducted in Mai Kadra, Agamsa, Chena, Diesse, Komboltcha, Galicoma, Mersa and a host of other districts in Amhara and Afar regions. This, coupled with mass displacement, looting of public and private properties, public infrastructure facilities exterminating livestock resources of the regions, widespread rape explain the grim picture of massacre conducted by terrorist TPLF forces. The whole world and global media outlets know about all these but failed to condemn. Genocide does not happen simply because a single individual has declared it to happen.

Second, Debretshion is asking for compensation from the government of Ethiopia and Eretria out of the blue and with arrogance and sheer false assertions while reality terrorist TPLF is not legally entitled to ask for ransom.

If compensation is the issue, terrorist TPLF is in fact legally bound to pay compensation for the infrastructure facilities like Axum International Airport, thousands of schools, hospitals, health centers, public administrative and service offices, communication infrastructures, roads bridges it has destroyed both in Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions.

Third, the leader of the terrorist organization bragged about conducting a referendum in Tigray without even mentioning what sort of referendum his terrorist organization wishes to conduct.

According to article 39 sub article 4 of the Constitution of the FDRE referendum is conducted by the federal government and not by a regional state, the Constitution provides that:4.

The right to self determination up to secession of nation, nationality and peoples may be exercised:-(a) Where the demand for secession is approved by a two thirds (2/3rds) majority of the legislature of the nation, nationality or people concerned.(b) Where the Federal Government within three years upon receipt of the decision of the legislature of the nation, nationality or people demanding secession, organizes a referendum for the nation, nationality or people demanding secession. (c) Where the demand for secession is supported by a simple majority vote in the referendum.(d) Where the Federal Government transfers power to the parliament of the nation, nationality or people which has opted for secession.(e) Where property is partitioned in accordance with the law. 

Will the terrorist organization survive up to the time it would conduct a referendum? This briefing by the terrorist leader clearly indicates either he is ignorant about the proper context of the constitutional provision on article 39/4 on secession or referendum or is deliberately trying to smooth the people of Tigray on his total loss of control on the fairs in the region. 

Fourth, Debretshion was talking about his organizations relation with what he called 9 federal and con-federal political force based in the Diaspora with whom he wishes to establish a transition government.

This clearly indicates the state of confusion under which he becomes desperate at least to say something when already his terrorist forces are in disarray.

He mixes the demand for referendum for secession and the establishment of a transition government which in fact is either a makeup or a fairy tale.

 Fifth, the leader of the terrorist organization also talked about litigating all those who had violated human rights and crimes against humanity but never mentioned who the culprits are and what sort of court would deal with is.

 All told terrorist TPLF is afraid of the forthcoming doom and gloom it would face from citizens in Tigray and the whole Ethiopia and one would sincerely question if the leader of the terrorist TPLF is in a proper state of mind.

Nonetheless, terrorist TPLF is trying in vain to roll back history by existing today and thinking in the mindset of half a century back.