Sometime in the early 80"s the TPLf goons clash with the Eritrean Liberation Front known as ELF over Badme. Isayas was determined to have ELF eliminated from the Eritrean field from the get go. All the effort made to make up with ELF was bogus.
Hence, when TPLF clashed with ELF, the situation presented for EPLF to be sole beneficiary of the struggle, hence Isayas nods. TPLF takes this as an approval. The war between TPLF and ELF costs thousands of lives on TPLF part. TPLF and EPLF force the ELF fighters toward the borders of Sudan. Mengistu takes this opportunity to force the Sudanese government to disarm ELF with the condition that the arms would be returned upon the return of the front to the field. The ELF leadership gets devided hence the end of ELF itself is pronounced at the skermish of the leadership conference. After independence, Isayas encourages Meles and co. to depart their forces from the Eritrean lands such as Badme. Meles plays games. The war breaks out. Shortly after, the border ruling awards Eritrea. Isayas knows that the TPLF goons were not going to abide by the ruling. That was fine with him. It would give him indefinite time at the helm. Had they accepted the ruling, he would not have lasted in power this long. Meles knew it, but to do anything otherwise, it would have been an end to his power as well. Abiy y keow this very well. Once Abiy came to power he knew making peace with Eritrea had a lot of immediate benefits to the financially constrained Ethiopia. Immediate multi billin dollars loans and aid from the emirates and the emancipation of Tigray from TPLF. Once he made peace, Debre flys to Mekele and threatens the Ethiopian government with independence declaration. Well, Debre and TPLF get played by Isayas again. As long as they continue to occupy Badme, Isayas will breath on their neck. They still have no idea wh