Would it ever possible that TPLF be partner of Peace?

 Would it ever possible that TPLF be partner of Peace?

In my honest opinion, I would say I am not certain, probably, most likely NOT!

Don’t get me wrong I am still championing for peace. I believe that peace is the ultimate solution to the crisis Ethiopia is facing today.

Here why I am pessimistic about peace with TPLF and why I said probably NO.

We need to look back at the history of the TPLF behavior before it was toppled out of power, during the 27 years, and after it retreated to Maqale. We need to put that ugly past into historical prospective to predict the future.

This could be a interesting topic that requires large scale book or thesis. Here I will try to highlight on the major parts only. It shouldn’t be the daunting task to figure what have been unfolded under the tyrant TPLF regime. Truth should not be elusive since many of us are the living witnesses of that tragic era.

TPLF ruled Ethiopia with iron fist for almost three decades. No opposition parties were allowed to operate in the country. It’s elections were rigged, sham, and only controlled by a single party, that was the TPLF itself. The contender and opposition on the ballot was just TPLF alone. Then the outcome of such scheme is well known ahead of the result of election; it shamelessly declared that it won 99.9% of the electorate. The contender and the winner used to be the same, that is TPLF, it’s loyalists, and it’s associates.

TPLF grossly violated the human rights in Ethiopia. It amassed tenths of thousands Oromos and non Oromo alike in it’s notorious jails without due legal process for decades. It extrajudicially executed countless innocent people it deemed an adversary to it’s hegemonic rule.

TPLF puts everything under it’s tight-grip. The military, intelligence, security, political power, the federal police, commerce, banking, import and export, mega industries, investment, real estate, mining, aviation, agro-industries, and many more were under a single Tigre tribe. It grandiosely and unlawfully indulged and spoiled by the political power and every privilege that comes with it.

TPLF was involved in a grand scale illegal contrabands, forfeit, corruptions, fraudulences, illegal land grabbings, and so many other schemes with total impunity.

TPLF operated beyond Ethiopian boundaries and committed crimes inside the neighboring countries. Many weak neighboring countries became prey to the TPLF schemes. As a result of the TPLF intrusions, the neighboring countries suffered from direct TPLF interference in their internal matters. Some were forced to serve as the extension of TPLF regime providing them with everything the junta needs. TPLF security forces were able to operate in those countries with total immunity and indemnity. As a result prominent Oromo figures, intellectuals, opposition leaders, and activists were kidnapped by the TPLF boarderless intelligence agencies and made to disappear.

TPLF butchered about 1000 innocent Oromo youth in a single day at Irreecha celebration. It also murdered about 5,000 Oromo youth during non violent Oromo protest that finally toppled the TPLF grip out of political power.

Since it retreated to Maqale bunkers after being kicked out of central government, TPLF did not remain idle despite living hundreds kilometers away from Addis Ababa/ Finfinne. It rather involved in sabotaging Dr. Abiy’s government and tried to destabilize the country. It tried to assassinate Dr. Abiy Ahmed himself three times. It defied peaceful initiatives. TPLF humiliated the elders, prominent figures, and religious leaders that were sent to Maqale by the government to try and mediate. The final ditch to initiate and resuscitate peace was miserably failed due to the TPLF stubbornness. Meanwhile, TPLF continued to destabilize the country by setting up conflicts in every direction in the country.

Finally when it’s coup d’etate attempted was miserably foiled and it’s dream to reclaim power was crumbled under it’s feet, hopelessly it perpetuated one of worst crime. TPLF special forces unexpectedly raided the northern special military base that housed mechanized brigade of tenths of thousands Ethiopian soldiers during the down when many those soldiers were sleeping. TPLF forces unleashed deadly attacks and butchered hundreds of Ethiopian soldiers. The corpse of those dead soldiers left on the streets for days while lots of other soldiers disrobed from their uniforms and sent toward Eritrean boarder in total humiliation butt-necked. Once again, that graphic scene has shown the TPLF ugly, barbaric, and in humane nature. It just doesn’t have regards to human lives today let alone it’s three decades of it’s brutal and villainous past.

As we all know, that shameful, treasonous, and barbaric TPLF act triggered the current war. I know some solely put blame on the government of Dr. Abiy Ahmed but these are the undeniable facts that we all need to know as the cause of the current devastating war. By the way I am not here to defend, blame, or label anyone but I wanted to shed a light on facts leading to the current crisis in Tigray region.

My criticism is not only one-sided. I stand for what I believe is right and therefore I criticize when someone does wrong and I applaud him/ them when he/they do the right things.

Sometimes I am just puzzling and wondering how the person once so loved, adored, and considered as messiah or savior of Ethiopia lost his own Oromo constituents. Unfortunately I would say Dr. Abiy Ahmed betrayed his base. Sadly he decided to imprison some of very important activists/ figures in Oromo Revolution. That was the turning point in his administration. Despite emerging political differences between Jawar Mohammed team, and Dr. Abiy administration due to his new political and philosophical adventure that stood out to be the mirror image of the past Naftenya system, in my opinion jailing them was the big mistake. Jawar Mohammed is also not immune from criticism. He showed disrespectful attitude toward Dr. Abiy’s government. Some of the words he used to criticize him for sure were inflammatory and have created hostile environment between the two and triggered animosity, further division, and polarization. I wished they had tolerated each other and solved their differences through dialogue. The hope for peaceful settlement between the two has not dried out and evaporated. I still hope that we can salvage a peace in our home.

I feel that it is rational to argue whether Dr. Abiy Ahmed slip away from the constituents that ascended him to the helm of political power. Instead of addressing one of hot issue at the heart of Oromo Revolution, Dr Abiy unfortunately sidelined those demands, decided to embrace the old and disdained Ethiopianism ideology by abandoning his base. I believe that was his strategic mistake and one of the political blunders ever undertaken during his infant administration. It is still unknown and remains mysterious to me why he did choose to go that path. It is oblivious that he ignored the rising opposition against his administration from Oromo youth, public,intellectuals, and Oromo arts. I wished he was able to change the trajectories when the fiasco was so obvious instead of confronting them by use of force. We must acknowledge that the opposition to his government is solid, strong, hefty, and therefore should not be ignored/ underestimated. Solution should be sought immediately to address the real Oromo public grievances including releasing of political prisoners.

However not all he has been doing are bad. I like some of the things that he has been doing for the country despite enormous challenges he is facing from home front and abroad. Despite his shortcomings, he was able stabilize the country that totally robbed, left bare necked, and abandoned to the brink of economic and political collapse by the TPLF cronies. He almost completed the Grand Renaissance Ethiopian Dam that would furnish electricity power to millions of Ethiopian households, industries, and businesses. Undoubtedly that would change Ethiopia for good. Unfortunately he was also the target of relentless propaganda campaign, defamation, hoax, disinformation, and smear campaign. His government is unmatched by the the level of animosity being propagated against him and those Oromos working around him. Unfortunately they are labeled as traitors, sellouts, and money chasers.

One of his another accomplishments is to hold the national election in this short period of time. Despite alienating and banning many opposition from participating in election, especially in Oromia region, Imprisoning and keeping Jawar Mohammed and Baqalaa Gerba  imprisoned with out  trial is will be the greatest mistake of his time in leadership. the number of people turnout to vote was remarkably enormous. Some may argue whether this election was fair and free election, nevertheless people voted overwhelmingly in large numbers.

Back to my point whether TPLF could be partner of Peace,

TPLF defies peaceful resolution and decided to go to the war adventure more than twice. The peaceful opportunity given to them when the Ethiopian military was pulled out of Tigray region was a golden opportunity to begin with. However TPLF choose to go along path of distraction and keeps gambling with guns instead of peace talk. Unfortunately since TPLF is showing erratic, impulsive, irrational, and irresponsible behavior about the prospect of peace, the essence of peace in that part of the region is becoming illusive.and out of reach. As a result the people in Tigray and the entire nation are suffering from relentless war, famine, distraction, and suffering. How many innocent people have to die and the wealth of this impoverished nation have to be ruined before TPLF comes to the table? Unsure .

That’s why I said TPLF may not be a partner of Peace for so many reasons I mentioned above, at least for a short term.