The Untold Genocide by the insurgent in Ethiopia TPLF 

Shlomo Molla
Former MK and political activist

The rebel group that branded itself as the “Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had committed genocide in Ethiopia specifically in Amhara and Afar regions. The terror group, encouraged its forces to commit mass atrocities in the last two years constantly advancing the narrative of a “targeted minority group” by the federal government and the people of the neighboring regions. The method they employed is similar to other political units that disseminate messages to their ideologically loyal fanatics by advocating that as a minority group they are defenseless and need to take whatever measures to survive by crushing the other ethnic groups.

The rebel forces justify the massacres of civilians in Afar and Amhara, as an offensive against enemies. The rationale for such killing revolves around entirely oblivious claims about the danger – with the proxies organizing the violence as a retaliation and response to unreal spell or imagined threats. 

TPLF, as an insurgent group, has been focusing on genocidal acts because it stirred fomenting animosities against the Amhara and nurtured radical ambitions to destroy the societal foundations – both of which encouraged a resort to extreme violence. The young radical students who went to the rural villages to begin lingering violence against the military government in 1975 created the Popular Rebellion for the liberation of Tigray (this is the literal meaning of the original name of TPLF in Tigrinya) This nomenclature reveals the very nature of this political unit. 

TPLF, originally founded on Marxist and Leninist ideology, began as a revolutionary resistance movement with the aim of self-determination for Tigray. From the outset, the secession movement was stripping the social fabric within Tigray, because TPLF was propagating socialist class struggle and ethno-nationalist consciousness focusing on the growing complaints of the farmers in Tigray against the government. TPLF used a wide range of tactics to influence the Tigray region. TPLF developed a cult system with an array of motives, demanding “excessive devotion” from the members and followers including fairly unreflective obedience to authority figures, conformity to group conduct, and individual greed – all operating in a context where violence becomes routine and habituated. In the past the followers who have different opinions, through considered action, were killed or injured by other members of TPLF for expressing their opposition. TPLF utilized class and ethno nationalist ideologies to mobilize the people; nevertheless, whosoever opposed their ideology was decimated. The TPLF leaders follow debasing tactics and isolating discourse on political dissidents or opponents. All these ascriptions show that the TPLF is a tyrannical dictatorial political group that would take excessive measures. TPLF as a political organization supports genocidal acts and pursued this in all its courses.  

The TPLF, after leaving the ruling coalition in the federal government, resorted to extreme violence in pursuit of its ambitions for political power. The leaders declared that the objective of the fighting would be defeating or weakening the enemy (the federal government) yet the attack on civilians has been brutal. The TPLF instilled fear in the public and continued terrorizing civilians by using widespread offensive methods. The systematic killing of the people in the Amhara region was perpetrated for over four decades. The TPLF created a narrative which is based on its longstanding racist plans to secure territorial claims fanning primeval hatreds. The atrocities are typically a brutal tool that armed groups like TPLF employ to achieve military success and maintain political control. 

The Ethiopian Human Rights commission presented credible evidence that demonstrate the acts committed by TPLF with intent to destroy the people in Amhara and Afar regions, including the killing of innocent civilians; or causing serious bodily or mental harm to civilians during armed conflict or in peace time; deliberately inflicting on the civilians in Afar and Amhara creating conditions calculated to bring about its physical destruction, constitute genocide. TPLF and its supporters have been advocating the opposite. 

In the legal or political context these acts of TPLF have been characterized as genocide because TPLF officially declared that its objective and plan was to overturn the government and entire nation, wipe of the people of Afar and Amhara ethnic groups which are considered as enemies. The world need to realize that the attack on the civilians in the past or present and the nature of events clearly constitute that it was genocide in addition to other atrocious crimes. Such deliberate massive killing of the people in Amhara and Afar regions with the aim of destroying these ethnic groups is deplorable. These unaccounted crimes must be documented.

TPLF’s future as a political party and the opportunity to participate in Ethiopia’s political processes ended when the group attacked the Ethiopian national defense forces. In the past two years, the terror network of TPLF is not operating as a viable political body. TPLF’s political leadership is disillusioned and confused. The main figures are those who claim to lead the military action. It became a dysfunctional insurgent political force operating unlawfully, killing civilians brutally. The Ethiopian people, especially the people in the adjacent regions would not imagine the possibility of accepting the TPLF as a political unit to work with. TPLF leaders may not be able to come back as new political actors and engage with other parties in peace. 

The international community need to condemn the TPLF’s acts of genocide. It is high time for TPLF to renounce violence. It is time to bring justice to the people of Ethiopia who suffered under the brutal violence of the rebel group. It is incumbent on the international community to hold the TPLF liable for such horrific crimes. It is time for the international community to understand the true nature of the TPLF and hold the leaders responsible for genocide against Ethiopians. This is a crime against humanity. 

__

To Publish Article On borkena, please send submission to info@borkena.com for consideration.

Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena

Join the conversation. Follow us on twitter @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian news updates regularly. Like borkena on facebook as well. To share information or send a submission, use info@borkena.com