The Shadow of TPLF’s Historical Timeline of Violence and Intolerance
Mekelle, Tigray January 19,2025 (Tigray Herald)
Document Title: The Shadow of TPLF’s Historical Timeline of Violence and Intolerance
Prepared by: Tigray Media Watch Digital Intelligence Monitoring Group
Location: Mekelle, Tigray
Date: January 18, 2025
Introduction
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) emerged on February 18, 1975, with promises to liberate the Tigrayan people from oppression. However, the last 50 years of its rule reveal a starkly different legacy: a political system rooted in violence, intolerance, and betrayal. This document outlines the TPLF’s history of crushing dissent, assassinating opponents, and prioritizing authoritarian control over the aspirations and well-being of Tigrayans. It underscores the urgent need for the TPLF’s ideology and leadership to end, uniting Tigrayans under a call for justice, reform, and a better future.
TPLF’s Political Ideology: A Legacy of Suppression
The TPLF’s political strategy has been one of violence, defamation, and elimination of dissenting voices. Rather than fostering ideological debate, the TPLF’s leadership relied on silencing opposition through mass killings, imprisonment, and systemic dismissal of political and military figures with differing opinions. The TPLF never engaged in meaningful ideological discourse, choosing instead to crush opponents through authoritarian means.
This rigidity created a pattern of distrust, fear, and betrayal that characterized TPLF’s operations across its history.
Key Historical Events of TPLF’s Intolerance and Violence
1976: The First Betrayal
In its early years, the TPLF betrayed its allies, the Tigray Liberation Front (TLF). During a reconciliation event in 1976, TPLF operatives massacred sleeping TLF members. This treachery highlighted their intolerance for differing political beliefs and their willingness to eliminate those who posed ideological challenges.
1978: Suppression Amid Political Chaos
Using the guise of political instability, the TPLF once again targeted opposition members. Brutality and coercion became defining traits of their approach to consolidating power.
1984: Internal Betrayals and Power Consolidation
Even within its leadership, dissent was not tolerated. High-ranking TPLF officials and members who voiced concerns about the movement’s direction faced similar fates. This period saw purges that decimated even loyal cadres.
1994: Post-Derg Demobilization of Fighters
After the fall of the Derg regime, the TPLF dismissed over 55,000 Tigrayan fighters without compensation, betraying those who had sacrificed their lives for the cause. This act alienated many and reinforced the notion that the TPLF valued control over loyalty.
1995: Targeting Security and Political Members
The imprisonment and dismissal of over 6,000 TPLF military and political figures in 1995 marked another chapter of betrayal. Those who dared to challenge the political leadership were labeled as traitors, defamed, and cast aside.
1998-2000: Post-Eritrean Border War Crisis
The fallout from the Eritrean-Ethiopian war saw deep divisions within the TPLF leadership. High-ranking politburo members were imprisoned, dismissed, or assassinated, further exposing the violent and self-destructive tendencies of the organization.
2012: Post-Meles Zenawi Era
Following Meles Zenawi’s death, the leadership transition brought more purges, factionalism, and betrayal. The ascent of Debretsion Gebremichael as faction leader marked a decline in governance, characterized by corruption and incompetence.
2020: The Tigray Genocide
Debretsion Gebremichael’s leadership is widely criticized for enabling the conditions that led to the Tigray genocide. His failure to unify and protect the region exposed the TPLF’s inability to prioritize the needs of Tigrayans over its political survival.
2022: After the Pretoria Agreement
The TPLF’s betrayal of the Tigray Interim Government underscores its inability to reform. Labeling, defaming, and character assassination were repeated against those advocating for transformation, further alienating the population.
The Gang of Four: Symbols of Failure
The TPLF’s failures are embodied by a group of elites referred to as the Gang of Four:
Debretsion Gebremichael
Alem Gebrewahid
Fetlework Gebregziabher (Monjorino)
Getachew Assefa
This group represents betrayal, corruption, and authoritarianism. They have prioritized personal gain over the well-being of millions of Tigrayans, turning their backs on the very people they claimed to represent. Their continued presence in leadership roles undermines any possibility of meaningful change.
Why the TPLF Must End
Ideological Rigidity and Violence
The TPLF has demonstrated that it cannot coexist with dissent. Its history is marked by killing, defaming, and dismissing opponents, proving its inability to win debates with ideas or strategies.
Authoritarianism and Corruption
The TPLF leadership has devolved into a self-serving clique, more interested in maintaining power than addressing the needs of the people.
Betrayal of Tigrayans
From demobilizing fighters to facilitating genocide, the TPLF has repeatedly betrayed its base. It is clear that the organization has lost its moral and political legitimacy.
No More TPLF: Enough is Enough
The people of Tigray deserve leadership that prioritizes peace, justice, and progress. The TPLF’s ideology and system must be dismantled to pave the way for democratic governance.
Call to Action: Uniting Tigrayans
The Gang of Four must be held accountable. All Tigrayans, regardless of political beliefs, must unite to demand their removal. Reform and transformation are only possible when the old system is replaced with a new vision rooted in justice, equality, and progress.
#NoMoreTPLF
#EnoughIsEnough
#GangOfFourMustGo
Conclusion
The TPLF’s history is one of violence, betrayal, and authoritarianism. For Tigray to move forward, the people must reject the TPLF’s failed leadership and embrace a future built on unity, justice, and democracy. The time for change is now. Tigrayans must come together to end the TPLF’s destructive legacy and reclaim their future.
Prepared by:
Tigray Media Watch Digital Intelligence Monitoring Group
