Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
Unholy Alliance Between TPLF and PFDJ: A Dangerous Pact Reborn
By Tatios
In a development that has raised eyebrows across the Horn of Africa, the once-bitter rivals the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), the ruling party in Eritrea appear to be rekindling ties under the guise of a new cooperation framework dubbed “Tsimdo.” This emerging partnership is not only historically ironic but also politically perilous, particularly in light of the traumatic history both entities share and have imposed on the region.
A History of Betrayal and Bloodshed
The relationship between TPLF and PFDJ has long been marked by periods of tactical cooperation, followed by violent fallout. Perhaps one of the most haunting betrayals came during the devastating 1984 famine in Ethiopia. At a time when humanitarian aid routes were a lifeline for millions in Tigray, the PFDJ then known as the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) closed a critical corridor to Sudan, exacerbating the famine’s toll and cutting off vital international relief. This act of callous indifference to suffering left deep scars among the Tigrayan population.
Fast forward to the 2020–2022 Tigray War, Eritrea’s participation alongside federal Ethiopian forces was not only strategic but brutal. The Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) were widely documented to have committed grave human rights violations, including massacres, widespread sexual violence, and looting. Reports from human rights organizations, including the UN, have described these actions as constituting war crimes and possible crimes against humanity targeting civilians in what many in the region consider an attempted genocide against the people of Tigray.
Historical Context: The PFDJ’s Genocidal Agenda Against Tigray
Isaias Afwerki’s hostility toward Tigray is not a recent development; it is a deeply embedded
component of Eritrea’s state ideology. Since the 1980s, the PFDJ regime has pursued a
strategy aimed at undermining Tigray’s revolutionary identity, democratic aspirations, and strategic geographic influence.
The New Alliance: Tsimdo or Tactical Mirage?
Today, the emergence of the so-called “Tsimdo” platform loosely translated as “shared purpose” or “coordination” suggests a political realignment between TPLF and PFDJ. While details remain scarce, the optics of this renewed alliance have raised serious concerns among observers, especially given the profound mistrust and bloodshed that have historically defined their relationship.
Critics argue this rapprochement is not born out of genuine reconciliation or mutual interest in peace, but rather a temporary tactical move possibly to counter shared political threats or external pressures. What’s more concerning is the potential for this unholy alliance to undermine regional stability once again, particularly if it evolves into a vehicle for power consolidation or renewed hostilities.
Strategic Implications for Ethiopia and the Region
This renewed engagement between TPLF and PFDJ poses a critical question: Can any partnership rooted in mutual betrayal, bloodshed, and opportunism offer a stable future? For Ethiopia, already navigating complex national reconciliation efforts and the demands of post-conflict recovery, such developments threaten to derail progress and sow new seeds of mistrust among communities yearning for lasting peace.
The international community must approach this evolving alliance with caution and clarity. Accountability for past atrocities particularly those committed during the Tigray War must not be sidestepped in favor of geopolitical convenience.
Conclusion
In a region where alliances shift like desert winds, the rekindling of ties between TPLF and PFDJ should be scrutinized not only for its timing but for its intent. The people of Tigray, and indeed all Ethiopians and Eritreans, deserve a future defined not by the cynical calculations of war-weary elites but by justice, accountability, and a genuine commitment to peace.
