86 ግጽ የትህነግ እስትራተጂና የጦርነት ፕላን ምስጢር ዶክመንት (በግድ መነበብ ያለበት)
Posted: 25 Sep 2021, 18:40
ብራና ፕሬስን እናመሰኛለን! እዚህ ፎረም ላይ ፖስት ያደረገልንን ዝመሰሎን እናመስኛለን! በቀላሉ ሁሉም እንዲያገኘው እነሆ! በሰፊው ይሰራጭ፣ ዶክመንቱ በጣም ድግግሞሽ ቢበዛበትም የትህነኝ ሙሉ ህሳቤ ስለያዘና ከዚህ ውጭ ሌላ ምንም ማሰብ ስለማይችሉ ለወደ ፊት ሁሉ በጣም ጠቃሚ ሰነድ ነው ። ገጽ 20 የለም (misses p. 20). የባንዳው ሙሉ በሙሉ መሸነፍ ቶሎ ማየት ለምትፈልጉ ተራ ቁጥር 2.3.5.2 ተመልከቱ ። በእኔ እምነት ዶክሜንቱ ፌክ አይደለም፣ በትክክል የትህነግ ፕላን ነው ምክ ኛቱም የሆነው ነገር ሁሉ በትክክል እዚያ አለ ። እጅግ እጅግ የሚያስገርመው ግን ብሊንከንም፣ ባይደንም፣ ተመድም፣ አውሮፓም፣ ሚዲያም፣ መረራ ጉዲናም፣ ልደቱ አያሌውም ይህን ዶክመንት ነው የሚጠቀሙት ። ባንድ ቃል አንብባችሁ ስትጨርሱት የሚሰማችሁ ስሜት የትግሬ ባንዳዎች ኢትዮጵያን ምን ያህል እንደ ማያውቁና በራሳቸው ምስለ አይምሮ (ኢማጂኔሽን) ውስጥ እንደ ሚኖሩና የምዕራብ ደደብ ጋዜጠኞች ምን ያህል ምኞች እንደ ሆኑ ነው ።
Leaked document Reveals TPLF’s War Plan & Strategy – dated 10 October 2020 translated from Amharic Volume – 2
By admin on September 24, 2021
The Special Phase of the Struggle and the Continuation of our Defense Strategies, Tactics, and Directions
“Strictly confidential”
TPLF Secretariat
October 10/2020
Mekelle
Contents
Introduction
Part One: New Developments in the International, National and regional Political Landscape 4
1.1 ….. Developments in The International and Regional Situation in Relation to Our Country
1.1.1 New Developments in the International and Regional Arena
1.1.2 New phenomena in the region
1.2. New developments in national conditions
1.2.1. A new developments in an enemy condition
1.2.2. Further Points and Events in ethnicities, nationalities and peoples
1.2.3. In the case of elections and national political events/ facts.
1.2.4 Important Political conclusion on National Situation/Reality
1.3.2. The Tigray Election that turned the page to a New Political Chapter
1.3.3. Opportunity and risks in defending Tigray
Part Two: Strategies, Tactics, and Directions for Continuing the struggle
2.1. The dominant origins of our strategies, tactics and directions
2.2 Transforming Tigray’s defense capacity to an irreversible level
2.2.1 A Strategy to strengthen Tigray Defense
2.2.2 Identify and coordinate enforcement tactics and directions
2.2.2.1 Identify and coordinate political tactics and directions
2.2.3. A Tigray which has built a comprehensive institutional capacity (De-facto Tigray)
2.3. Destroying the enemy and initiating the country’s new reform for the benefit of Tigray
2.3.1. Campaign to defeat the enemy
2.3.2 What can we learn from the world and specific countries?
2.3.3. What does the future hold for Ethiopia and People of Tigray?
2.3.4. Final Solution to Tigrean people’s sustainable/continued benefit/advantage! Never again
The Special phase of the struggle and the continuation of our defense strategies, tactics, and directions
Introduction
We, the militants who are leading our people in this inimitable stage of struggle have been striving for the people’s enlightenment, by making explicit our questions, the objectives and, the appropriateness of our struggle, we have been defending the challenges we faced with endurance. Over the past two and a half years, the Ethiopian people in general and Tigray people in particular, have faced a tragic incident still we are in this challenge. However, it is indispensable that we continue to serve with our struggle and perseverance. Our struggle and defense so far make us models for other people and consequently, we have got more followers and partners. Yet, we still find ourselves in difficulties, we have become a key force in changing circumstances and to have the full potential for our current necessities.
On one hand, the escalation of our enemy’s internal conflict, political, economic, and democratic alienations are widespread, especially as it is increasingly isolated from nations, nationalities, and peoples. Now our enemy is confused. It has no backbone. It has no supporters. It is an illegal force that should not remain in power after October 5. On the other hand, in desperation, our enemy will defiantly try to take destructive action. In an effort to prolong their life, they may try to take a destructive course of action. On the contrary, we have respected the constitution, held historic elections, established a legitimate government, and raised our defense to a higher standing.
As a result, the battle against the enemy in all of its forms has reached a tipping point. We have reached a point where it is time to move on to strategic attacks to toss and bury the opponent in a short amount of time. We’ve arrived at the most difficult and final step. The clock is ticking. We can’t wait if we want to. The nature of the conflict is shifting. We can no longer maintain the status quo. As a result, we’ve arrived at a stage where we must carefully assess the issue, make a decision, and endure. We can’t afford to make a blunder. Our victory in the face of adversity is preparing us for a new challenge and struggle.
Our election victory has posed not only a challenge to the national battle but also brought internal issues to Tigray. This document is based on the evolution of a specific phase of the struggle that we have witnessed in the past, as well as subsequent new developments, the path forward, and the future direction we will pursue. Several things have changed since our last discussion, and we’ve moved on to a critical chapter. As a result, new questions arise that must be addressed. Where are we going after this? How can we overthrow the enemy? After the downfall of Abiy’s team, what will be the next step? What is the lasting solution? What will happen to Tigray in the long run? Have become key questions for our people, our leadership, and our members. These are questions that need to be asked and answered.
As a result, the purpose of this strategic document is to assess the existing situation and provide answers to the questions raised above. It is divided into two sections. The first segment evaluates our current defense and progress. The second section outlines our next strategy, tactics, and battle plan. This part is responsible for answering the forum’s mission and critical questions, as well as identifying, coordinating, and refining the greatest ideas. Specific concerns can be worked out later once the essential ideas and principles of this paper have been agreed upon.
Part One: New Developments in the International, National, and regional Political Landscape
1.1 Developments in The International and Regional Situation in Relation to Our Country
1.1.1 New Developments in the International and Regional Arena
We have continued, as we have in the past, to assess the impact of changes in the international situation on our country. Because we cannot consider ourselves independent of regional and worldwide political situations, the present global order has been at the heart of many of our discussions. As we have seen in our case, when changes in the global political environment have a detrimental impact on their well-being, nations, especially the West, act extremely strongly. Similarly, we must constantly monitor and analyze developments in global politics in order to adjust our positions to capitalize on opportunities and avoid dangers.
It is important to assess the international situation in the short term. It is also valuable to forecast future changes. Furthermore, when countries, particularly neighboring countries, contact us, they bring not just their interests but also the interests of their powerful masters. As a result, we must anticipate that our diplomatic relations with this country to be very complicated. So for this and other reasons, we need to regularly keep ourselves abreast of the situation.
We have seen that the economic downturn in the past, especially the Covid-19, and the competition, which has taken on more and more forms of competition, have shifted to a higher level. Strategic transition and change will inevitably bring great opportunities and challenges to nations and peoples. There will be opportunities to take advantage of the opportunities and create greater technological potential that will reduce the risks and create huge economic benefits. One of the ideas that we need to transform Tigray in 25 years hopes to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead and to adapt to the challenges we face, as big changes will inevitably take place around the world. With this in mind, we need to take a long-term view of the medium and short-term developments. For now, however, we will focus on the short-term performance of the current national situation and the key issues that have arisen.
Westerners, especially the US government, have been trying to increase their dominance in Africa. Especially in our region, they have been working to create dominant regional allies. They have continued to arm these forces. This aligns with the West’s strategic shift to cope with the global turmoil the Covid-19 pandemic has caused and the desire to re-adjust rules of globalization in order to protect their strategic interests. The Chinese desire to control Africa and Russia’s recently moved to strengthen relations with South Africa and the US has been working extensively to implement a containment strategy for China and Russia.
To this end, the West has tried to influence and dominate the biggest and most populous country in the region, Ethiopia. They wanted someone who can carry out their mission. In Abiy they found a willing horse whom they can ride to carry out their mission. However, the Western countries have discovered over time that the reforms they advocated have been imperiled. They have realized that Abiy cannot advance their interests. Abiy’s interests and the West’s interests are misaligned. Let alone executing their agenda, Abiy can’t hold on to his power for long. They do not want to ride a dead horse. Thus, the West is looking for a new partner who can carry out its mission. One of the most important strategic development lies here.
There are other reasons why the enemy (Abiy) is rapidly losing acceptance in the West. As we all know, the next American election season has begun. President Donald Trump is doing his best to win the next election. One of the key election agendas he hopes will get him votes is the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By ensuring Israel’s security on the lands it controls and establishes a statehood for Palestinians on what remains, he wants to be the President that makes history by resolving this long-existing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
In order to implement this election strategy, he needs the support of Arab countries. To realize Donald Trump’s interest and Israel’s interests Arab countries were important. Egypt was the primary choice to fulfill the mission of convincing and influencing Arab countries. When the Egyptians accepted this assignment, in return, they have asked the Trump administration to intervene on their behalf on the issue of the Renaissance Dam dispute with Ethiopia. Donald Trump’s administration responded to the Egyptian requests positively. Under the pretext of ‘observer’, the Americans and the World Bank have tried to ensure the Egyptian side wins on the dispute over the GERD.
The American’s commanding Abiy to resolve things on the GERD was not the only request they had. They also wanted him to facilitate a good relationship between Sudan and other Arab countries and Israel. Abiy accepted their plan by saying, “Leave this to me, I will do it.” However, Abiy failed to accomplish both of these missions. Fearing widespread opposition from the Ethiopian people if he accepted the American’s deal on the Renaissance Dam, he has failed to accept the deal. The Sudanese didn’t listen to him, let alone act on what he asked them to do. However, he offended the Americans by lying about convincing the Sudanese. Because of this reason, his relationship with the Trump administration and his credibility have been severely damaged. They now consider him a meaningless force. Thus, the support of the Abiy group in the United States is virtually non-existent.
Moreover, Democrats are likely to be elected in the next election. The US election is hard to predict, but Biden is still leading. If Biden is elected, Obama’s key people are expected to come to power. Although these people have similar views on the reform, their position on the current situation in Ethiopia seems to be better. We will have the opportunity to build a better relationship with them. In connection with this, the Oromo movement in some US states could have a significant impact on the outcome of the election. They are actively supporting Biden in particular. As a result, even after Donald Trump, Abiy will not be supported by the Americans. Basically, the United States puts its own interests at the forefront, so it is unlikely that they will put all their interests in one box. Moreover, due to the ongoing anti-Abiy movement abroad and the humanitarian crisis in the country, many in the international community are adopting an anti-Abiy stance.
The ongoing opposition of members of the US Congress, the ICG, Freedom House, and some celebrities, etc., is greatly reducing Abiy’s reformist credibility. Abiy is isolated. In light of these new facts, the United States does not want to continue with Abiy. Just because they do not want to continue with Abiy does not mean that they will stop the reform process, they just want other options to continue the reform.
In Europe, most countries are worried that the country is collapsing. They fear that the Horn of Africa as a whole will suffer because of the instability in Ethiopia. They are concerned that the growing instability could lead to a major refugee crisis. They are losing hope in Abiy’s leadership because of the widespread human rights violations at home and the protests against him abroad. They are beginning to give ear to our position and the solution. As a result, many European countries and the Far-Eastern countries are interested in meeting with us outside of Ethiopia. Both the EU and other European countries are now pushing for deeper dialogue and negotiations. They took the position that dialogue is the solution. They hope the dialogue and negotiation achieve their interests in Africa.
Following this, there may be a situation where they say ‘Do this and don’t do that’. Fundamentally, no solution comes from a negotiation led by Westerners. As usual, they will try to have a continuous, extended, and tedious negotiation and, as we have seen in other cases. They see peace negotiations and dialogues as deployment and job creation opportunities for their international institutions and citizens.
Nonetheless, this is what is coming as a solution. In light of this fact, on the one hand, we have to support the increasing opposition to the Abiy government. On the other hand, we will work out a clear negotiation strategy that will not hinder the short and long-term interests of Tigray. We will act based on establishing our irreconcilable differences. Our strategy in this regard will be discussed in detail later, but our legitimacy has increased to some extent following our last two years’ struggle and the recent election we conducted that has attracted the attention of the whole world. They are saying, Ethiopia’s problem cannot be solved by isolating TPLF and the people of Tigray. If we work hard to develop our bargaining power in the future and to increase our demand, the benefits of negotiating may outweigh its disadvantages. Overall, the West’s position on Abiy is conducive to our struggle.
The situation in the Middle East cannot be seen in isolation from the global reality. It is an area of widespread crisis that even the superpowers failed to resolve. The alignment of these countries has changed the geo-political situation in the Horn of Africa. Since Westerners are preoccupied with their internal affairs, the Gulf States have been allowed to free ride in the Horn of Africa. The United States has been working on behalf of Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to implement its security strategy. They are working closely in the US election. We have already seen the role of Abiy in the above discussion. As a result, his friendly relations with these countries have weakened; it is an extension of his failure to agree on the GERD. The Arabs accepted Egypt’s idea of the Renaissance Dam and they were able to stand against Abiy.
The initial support and cooperation from both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have stopped. He isn’t getting the promised support. So as things stand now, the enemy (Abiy) is completely isolated.
One of the conclusions we draw from this is that countries are losing faith in Abiy’s government and he is alienated. The second important point is that they want him to take the initiative to solve the problem through negotiations. The third point is that there is a minimum possibility that they will intervene if we took the last and decisive move to destroy the enemy.
Apart from verbal threats, proxies and sanctions their threats will not amount to anything to derail our plans. Moreover, if we have increased our capacity, they may find us as an important force in the region. But that does not mean there are no challenges. They want to replace Abiy, not the reform. The negotiated solution they propose, especially if the West is involved, is going to mire us in a prolonged dispute with them. To be blunt the West’s hatred and skepticism of our ideological stand have always been a challenge. In general, we can conclude at this point that the enemy (Abiy) is increasingly isolated. There is no better time and a conducive environment for us to execute our final plans.
1.1.2 New phenomena in the region
Over the years, we have seen the Horn of Africa’s geo-political and evolving situation in the Red Sea become a major influence in the world. Conflict and humanitarian crises in the horn are on the rise and the situation in the Red Sea region is directly aggravating this. The change in the red sea geopolitics is making the horn of Africa a crisis zone and complicating preexisting problems. As the internal conditions of the horn countries change, relations with larger countries also change. The interests of superpowers and the Gulf States in the neighboring countries are affecting us both positively and negatively. Therefore relationship with neighboring countries is not only related to their national interest but also with that of superpowers and Arab countries. We must realize that the change here is crucial to our relationship.
Rivalry over religious, political, economic, diplomatic, military, and security issues poses a serious threat to the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Horn of Africa countries, on the one hand, are being victims of the competition between the Gulf States, and on the other, are using the competition to solve their internal political and economic problems. As a result, the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea are the battlegrounds of the mighty, and the Horn of Africa is being forced to take sides. Meanwhile, the struggle to seize control of the red sea at the hands of the client state has now intensified. Most IGAD member states have fallen into the hands of Arab states in search of financial support and a partner country. The internal vulnerability created by the organization has also exposed it to the intervention of foreign forces.
This shows that the crisis in the Horn of Africa makes it an area that is prone to large-scale intervention by foreign powers. These situations may certainly bring blessings or disguises to us. One important point, however, is the big role of Esayas and Abiy in weakening IGAD and complicating problems of the region. As a result, most of the countries in our region are losing touch with Ethiopia and calling the government the current obstacle. And, African Union has no influential leader. They cease their hope with the country and are hesitating to move their capital to other African countries.
In such a case, it is important to summarize the situation of our neighboring countries with us. We already said much that Sudan is our key partner due to economic, political, and security advantages. Although our interest is highly interlinked with theirs, on one hand, normalization of its relationship with Israel, sanctions lifted by the US, and more consensus among opposing groups may create a better condition, on the other hand, it is safe to assume that the US entry into Sudan will complicate our work in the face of severe economic crisis and instability in Sudan. Besides, Abiy is working to tackle our move starting from the embassy. He is deploying a lot of manpower in Sudan, including at the embassy to track our every move. Sudan’s interest is strong in resolving the border dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan. Abiy aims to create a chasm between Sudan and us; he said that the border dispute can be resolved gradually by starting from Tigray and continue with other areas. They are working with the EPLF to deprive us of entry and exit. Of course, Sudan realizes the conspiracy and did not accept it. Thus, Sudan still has a positive role for us; and they want to work with us in the future. It is important not only for entry and exit but also its role for our political work in other parts of Ethiopia is irreplaceable.
The relationship between Djibouti and the dictatorship is still strained and no new progress has been made. Their beneficial relationship with China, our common stand against Esayas, and their view of our struggle for the past two years make Djibouti strive to work and cooperate with us. The Federal Government of Somalia has a relationship with Abiy as it was, and no one wants to work with Abiy in the regions. Puntland, Somaliland, Juba Land are all opposed to Abiy. Their desire to work and connect with us is great. Abiy’s relationship with Kenya is also blurred. In general, Abiy has no good relationship in the region; in contrast, many neighboring countries want to work with us. Promising conditions are emerging.
In Eritrea, we have evaluated our relationship in our last review. Our evaluation stated that Esayas’ group is involved in Ethiopia and is working to weaken the TPLF and Tigray. We have also evaluated Abiy and Esayas have formed a political and military front to destroy us. They are working on the principle that the survival of one depends on the survival of the other. They are trying to do different kinds of subversive work, military cooperation, intelligence network, security agents, and assassination network. Even though they did not succeed, they have been trying their best. As long as Isaias exists and is capable, he will work to destroy the TPLF. So Isaias is still the clear and the main enemy of the present.
On the other hand, there is a growing public outcry in Eritrea’s anti-Isaias group. Political groups are saying: “we must work with the TPLF and the Tigrayan government”. Even if we look at the recent past, those Eritreans who believed it was a betrayal to work with “Woyane” are now changing their minds. The Eritrean youth movement has started because of the growing hatred of the Eritrean people against Isaias . Support of Eritreans in the locust infestation we faced is one growing example of our rapprochement. The Eritrean army is also raising questions. The question is whether they should go to war with Tigray.
For our part, there is some work to be done to bring about some improvements in the past and focus on better support. Eritrea is a neighboring country, but the work on Isaias ‘s group cannot be only diplomatic. It should include, therefore, security, political, and other areas of operations to defend Tigray.
1.2. New developments in national conditions
1.2.1. New developments in an enemy condition
About six months ago, on the one hand, we put that, this unitary dictatorship was violently suppressing the struggle of the people; one man dictatorship situation is becoming apparent; and while it’s moving on a downward spiral, that its ability to act is becoming strong. On the other hand, we have undoubtedly concluded that his character and identity are becoming apparent, that the struggle of the people is intensifying, and that this force will be defeated in the not-too-distant future.
The enemy using massive force and oppression had temporarily halted the mass violence and struggle that began in October and November 2019. It has turned many parts of the country under military rule and has resorted to unscrupulous anti-people activities to suppress the people’s struggle. And use the situation as such an opportunity that the election will not take place on time and it has decided to stay in power illegally. It is forcefully crushing those who do not accept this decision and potential obstacles and it completely turned to commit absolute anti-democratic acts. On the other hand, as the identity of this unitary and dictatorial group is being exposed, peoples and ethnicities are seeing it in broad daylight and are coming to the right conclusion. They have come to conclude that there is no alternative but to fight and overthrow this force. As a result, widespread protests and struggles have intensified since last June, particularly in Oromia and elsewhere.
In this tactical forum, the basic lineup of forces in Ethiopia is on the one hand new and existing national general forces (Unitarians) and on the other hand ethnicities, nationalities, and peoples. It is the struggle between these two that clearly stands out. We have come to the point where the situation has come to such a clear line-up and where the struggle process took a clear look. This dictatorial unitary group is becoming isolated from the people; its legitimacy and capacity are declining due to the opposition and struggle it is facing from the people. Differences in the ruling party are widening and their inability to work together is growing. Especially after the death of Hachalu, if we take Shimeles’ words, it is clear that inevitable in the ruling class is evident.
It is an assessment that we have already identified that the temporary alliance between chauvinism and narrow-mindedness can be dismantled. This natural conflict, inheritance contradiction, is becoming increasingly evident. The rift in the party and the rent-seeking investors and scholars is widening. In most parts of the country, the structure of the prosperity party is collapsing, declining, and being isolated from the people. Not only the structure of the group but also its supporters are being isolated and are leaving. At this time, a situation where it can be unified and govern is on the brink. Atrocities and kidnappings that
are taking place in all areas in order to expand the regime’s chances are fueling the ongoing struggle of the people. Moreover, it is anevent that is conducive to transform gradual change into an all-encompassing transformation and an opportunity to defeat and throw the enemy. It is easy to conclude that the current political situation is one in which the enemy has fallen into disarray and can be subjected to total distortion and destruction.
If we look at the economic situation, the problem is getting worse. The country’s economy, which has run without a leader for the last two and a half years, is declining at an unprecedented rate. The enemy by removing the existing developmental policy implemented a new supply economy, which is prescribed by others (foreigners). The policy stands against the city’s poor and farmers, completely excludes the majority of the population from the economy, and provides ample opportunity for the donors and the prescribers of the policy. Fundraising for ‘Gebeta lehager’, the construction of the waterfall, the construction of Unity Park, the construction of Entoto Park, and the development of the Addis Ababa City Rivers and other glittering projects are a manifestation of a flawed policy. Moreover, it is putting the country’s wealth under the control of Western companies. Evidently, the Ethiopian economy is now a network economy. It is under the control of certain dependent authorities, investors, and foreigners. Even most of the bank loans are given to the Amhara elite. The import and export business is controlled by these few people and whole manufacturing companies are turning to a gambling economy.
Various institutions are making their economic forecasts for the 2012E.C. fiscal year. According to the IMF, in 2020. Ethiopia is projected to grow by 1.9 percent. And it is projected to be 0 in 2021. Therefore, the economic situation of this country is at a critical stage. As a result, inflation has been rising steadily. Inflation has worsened at the national level, particularly in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Ethiopian Central Statistics Authority, inflation reached 21.5% and 22.3%, respectively, last June and July. There are virtually no exports at this time. Existing investments are closing. New investments have no interest. In particular, foreign direct investment (FDI) declined by a staggering 19.4% in 2012. As a result of the problems described above, foreign exchange is in serious trouble. It will continue to be an unsolvable problem in the future. In connection with this, Ethiopia’s current debt has reached 28.7 billion dollars. In 2019/20 alone, it showed an increase of $ 1.7 billion. In contrast, debt repayment capacity decreased by 2.4% that same year. As a result, more debt is being accumulated every year and on the contrary, debt repayment is declining every year.
The state of financial supply is also in jeopardy. At the national level, the annual growth rate of banks has dropped to 16 percent in 2012, the lowest in the last 10 years. Similarly, the annual growth rate of banks’ supply of finance to the economy has declined from 23.2% in 2018/19 to 20.9% in 2019/20. Moreover, there are a growing number of people who are losing their trust in the government and are taking out their money to foreign countries. There is also an increasing number of people holding their cash in their houses. The enemy has been trying to solve the problem by creating more problems. Instead of leading and motivating the economy, he is trying to solve the problem by using the advice (monetary policy) he received from Isaias. Recent restrictions on the amount of money that can be withdrawn from a bank, the amount of money that can be taken out of the bank and the measure to change money can be an example of this. These measures taken by the enemy are described by many scholars in the field as a “zero reason economy”. If we forget the other issues, spending 3.9 billion birr on printing a new currency is huge. While this country is in dire economic straits and high cost of living, spending so much money can never have a reasonable economic decision. Thus, it is clear that the change in money is more than just economic, it is political.
As we have seen, today we are moving to the point where eating and not eating is the main topic in Ethiopia instead of talking about development. The current political crisis is having a major impact on the economy. At the same time, the enemy’s alternative that leads to suffering disaster will likely strike in the near future. Starving people cannot be locked up and die. This and other political factors may cause the people to become involved in the struggle. The people could not afford to travel long distances. It is more likely for the people to take down the enemy with him. So in this case, it turned the enemy upside down.
Another important point is that in terms of diplomacy, the enemy is being isolated from both Western and regional governments. There is no support as there was in the past and it did not receive the promised support. They (foreigners) are concluding that Abiy is in danger because the Ethiopian people have not accepted the proposed reforms. It is largely despised by neighboring countries, with the exception of the Somali central government and Isaias’s group. The impact of the ongoing struggle abroad is also significant. Various governmental and non-governmental organizations are officially referred to the enemy as the “killer”. While the impact of the West’s skepticism on us is not insignificant, our struggle over the past two years and the recent successful elections have allowed us to be considered as a potential change agent in this area and to increase our demand in the region. In this regard, the decline of his (Abiy’s) legitimacy, the acceptance of our struggle, and the entire Ethiopian people is making the external situation favorable for the next fight against the enemy.
Developments around security and peace are another important issue. At this time, there is no peace in most parts of the country. Conflict, violence, massacres, and arrests have intensified. Massacre of protesters, a massacre of civilians is being carried out by the security forces. In Oromia, South (Wolayita and Sidama), Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, daily life is a nightmare. This anti-people force is primarily using its security structure. Paramilitary forces gathered in each region are also coming to slaughter the people. Deference force is doing what it is told to do. In Oromia, in particular, the paramilitary forces, like the foreign powers, are looting, raping women, and shooting young people in public. What could be more treason, prejudice, anti-people? As a result of such actions, the public is losing faith in the security apparatus. As a result, there is a growing sense of frustration with national defense.
However, the enemy’s power in this regard has not yet been weakened. It is trying to change the situation by using force. Of course, it is the security apparatus that is keeping the enemy alive. It is making great strides around the security establishment in order to maintain its long-term existence. The enemy by being suspicious of its commitment to do what it is ordered to do is trying to replace the old defense force, especially the force that is situated in Tigray (Northern Command), with a new one. At the national level, a large number of new forces have been introduced to train to change the existing power. It is also strengthening the Republican forces it has already begun organizing. The paramilitary forces in Oromia are also being armed and strengthened in all its forms. They are also doing similar work in Amhara. Isaias’s force was also brought into the country. The support that is being provided through training, intelligence, and manpower increase the enemy’s potential. From this, the enemy has not yet been weakened by military support. This is where it relies upon. Of course, the change in other areas is also determined by this military wing. If the balance of power needs to be changed, then disruptions in the political, economic, and diplomatic processes need to have the same effect on the military. So it requires a lot of important work in this regard. Our priority should be the defense force and the use of all sorts of alternatives to prevent it from continuing to be a tool of the enemy.
1.2.2. Further Points and Events in ethnicities, nationalities, and peoples
Ethiopians are currently demanding and battling for identity, democracy, peace, and development, among other things. As a result of these inquiries, new issues and inconsistencies emerge. According to the majority of ethnicities and ethnic groups, this force in power is ‘Neftegna’ and unitary. The majority of nations and nationalities, if not all, have concluded that Abiy is untrustworthy, deceitful, manipulative, and anti-citizen. No matter what he says, no one will trust him. They’ve also gotten to the point where he is committing acts of violence without restraint. People are learning from their mistakes and coming to the correct conclusion. They’ve thus progressed to unfettered acts of violence. The conflict between people’s rights and dictatorial rule is gathering traction. There is widespread agreement that the core of this conflict will not be peaceful; the door to peace has been shut, and they are preparing for it. People who are willing to fight and pay the price for the struggle have been reinforced in this regard.
Every day since last summer, the people’s struggle has manifested and strengthened new occurrences. In most regions, recent urban riots have been joined by the rural community, primarily farmers, and are now affecting the entire population. The people own the battle that has been and continues to be waged in Oromia, which is growing in both type and size. The “Qerroo” movement is a grassroots movement led by ordinary people. It will not be able to return. The entire population is battling together with their children. The majority of them are sacrificing their lives inside to fight the dictatorship. The diaspora is also better organized than it has ever been. Militants in Benishangul-Gumuz have entered the jungle with their weapons, utilizing traditional weaponry, and fought security troops in a series of battles. Gambella is no different. There is a serious possibility of armed struggle in Oromia Qerroo and OLF Shane, Amhara Kemise and Kemant, Benishangul, Gambella, Afar, and elsewhere, in addition to the present insurgency.
Civil instability in the South, particularly in Wolayita, is likely to worsen in the coming months. The adversary, though he tries to disturb our tranquility from afar, he is unable to do so. The government system in Amhara has nearly crumbled in many districts. There will be no peace, no growth if there is no order under command. In addition, the challenge in other areas is not insignificant. As a result, the Amhara people are growing increasingly angry and bitter. on the other hand, what is more, important in the Amhara region is people in Kemant, Agew, and the border areas, are struggling in the same way as everyone else.
The enemy, In Afar though he try to disrupt our peace he could not manage it. In Amhara, the structure of government has almost collapsed in many areas. No order under command, no peace, no development. Moreover, the challenge in other areas is also considerable. As a result, the people of Amhara are becoming frustrated and resentful. Primarily, however, the people in Kemant, Agew, border areas are struggling in the same way as other peoples. The position and principled struggle of the people of Tigray and the TPLF has been playing a key role in the struggle and support of the people. As a result, many people wish to join us in our fight against collaboration. Even if they have different ideas and beliefs, they wish to have a shared belief in the effort to overturn Abiy’s group in the future.
The movement, however, continues to lack well-organized and effective leadership. The original capacity has been significantly harmed. The adversary is scattering and arresting people who led or were assumed to lead the movement. They were unable to descend and lead and coordinate the march of the people. They remain vulnerable in the process. The fight, particularly in Oromia, will shift in both shape and size as a result of the leadership vacuum. Others are in the same boat. The people’s struggle is not adequately coordinated at the national level. The enemy was able to live due to a lack of favorable cultural conditions. A major Shift has not been possible due to the unsolved problem. Our move to full-fledged attack hasn’t gone well. Although the pace is slowing, the current condition is at the intended level. As a result, we must concentrate on developing the movement that we have started to address this issue, and we must be cognizant of our responsibility in doing so.
1.2.3. In the case of elections and national political events/ facts.
The adversary decided five months ago that elections could not be held because of the virus, and that they would stay in power eternally. COVID 19 was clearly not the cause. He took advantage of the circumstance, realizing that he couldn’t hold on to power in a credible manner owing to the continued social unrest and conflict, and he used it to extend his authority. So, why did he wait 5 months to vote this year? The fact that Abiy’s team has indicated that the election would take place has forced them to seek a solution. Both internally and externally, this pressure is mounting. Internal pressure is an important issue to consider. The Ethiopian people’s mobilization in Tigray and the influence it has had on the international community in order to prolong the September resistance, which declares Abiy to be an illegitimate administration, is crucial. As a result, he postponed the election in order to slow down the current insurrection, prevent future bloodshed and conflict, and ensure that he survives these difficulties. The election has been accepted not because there is a reasonable prerequisite for holding it, but rather because he believes it must be held. It was staged as a premeditated drama to derail the struggle and shift the agenda.
In this regard, he is disbanding and scattering the opposition’s leadership and structures in Oromia from top to bottom. He intends to maintain power through the use of force, money, intimidation, rigging elections, and manipulation, rather than through popular support. The key is that he did it to avoid the traps of September and October. Aside from that, he is attempting to collaborate with the businesses that he owns and operates. In Amhara, the prosperity party organization is dwindling, and he is now attempting to collaborate with NAMA. He is hiding in Oromia, misleading some of them. This form of drama also serves to weaken and detract from the ongoing struggle. Basically, it was a decision made after a long struggle that puts him in a difficult predicament.
The second reason is the influence of foreign powers on the fact that the election is better than the crisis without elections, and that the consequences of going to war with Tigray are partially understood by his advisers and observers. As a result, he was compelled to announce the date of the election before September 25. What will it bring to future political events/facts remains to be seen. However, it has a significant impact by cooling down the struggle of nations, ethnicities, and peoples.
If we don’t figure out why this is happening, we’ll be in a lot of trouble. Simultaneously, we stated that the struggle itself has a leadership problem due to a lack of general leadership. The enemy’s attacks on the struggle are harsh. As a result, if an election is held, there may be a propensity to overlook the struggle in the belief that the election will be used to gain power. This can be hazardous in a variety of ways. At the national level, not only may the struggle be reversed, but the problem can also be accumulated and brought to Tigray. As a result of our awareness of the issues, we must design ways to overthrow the enemy well before it held national elections.
Foreign entities may question, “What are you saying then?” if he declares that an election will be held. As a result of this, they will begin and strengthen their pressure on us to engage in discussions. They may try to resolve the issue with the majority of political groups by providing money and a power-sharing arrangement, as they have in some African countries. The majority of other political actors could be deceived and misled as a consequence of this. As a result, the task will not be easy. By causing us to spend time in a whirlwind, this will reverse the struggle that has got us to this vital moment.
We have elected and established a legitimate government. He declared that it was not a legal election. On the other hand, after September, we are saying you are not legal. We now have an open and public position. We have recalled our federally appointed manpower. Moreover, we are fighting for a clear solution to the problem. The enemy will not accept this. So we are now in the midst of a complete confrontation. He does everything in his power to degrade us, to put us in a quandary. He is trying to create internal rifts among us. Through his traitors and messengers, he works hard with Isaias ’ team. We will see what some of the competing political organizations in Tigray have to say about the upcoming election. Some in the (Tigray) opposition might decide to act against us if they get the support they needed, which may become their demise.
In order to ensure his survival, he might use many options to try to get us into trouble. He can start with soft power in advance. As the House of Federation decision passed currently that says “the federal government should not have relations with the Tigray government”. He said there will be no connection other than the return of basic development and basic services to the people, and he will not provide a budget. We understand the details of what this means and let the public know. Next, in terms of infrastructure, he will close the entrances and exits and create obstacles in other areas. This general decision can be applied as desired. It can then be transferred to the military. If he thinks he can, he can do both at the same time. On the other hand, he may not do all of this. If we create a challenge and the circumstances change in the first place, we can make him do things according to our plan. And if we succeed, we can make the enemy unhinged. In any case, there may be events related to the election. Therefore, the confusion that can be caused by choice in the fight to defeat the enemy should be one of our main focuses. The center of all our work must be moving the people of Ethiopia, both to prevent a slowdown and to move out of the current trap. The nature of the struggle must be changed.
1.2.4 Important Political conclusion on National Situation/Reality
In the above section, we discussed global situations in line with our struggle, enemy’s situation, Ethiopian peoples’ struggle, election, and issues related to our country’s next political fate. Based on the existing situation and the pieces of evidence we see, we can conclude that our struggle is sliding into a critical chapter. This is the right year, month, day, and hour for destroying our enemy. We cannot live side by side with this enemy. As a nation, we are in a difficult challenge too. This country may crumble in the presence of this dictator or after him. The long-lasted peaceful struggle is also being no longer an option. We are forced to choose another option rather than a peaceful struggle.
The ever-increasing opposition is not bad, but it should bring about radical change through critical struggle. The enemy is confused in many aspects. This confused enemy should be destroyed without delay. On the currently existing economic crisis, with the Oromo opposition growing and consolidating, with other opposition leaders, nations, and nationalities questioning the legitimacy of the enemy, we may make the short-term collapse of the enemy inevitable. If we could organize and work on our struggle in all aspects of political, military, and diplomacy, it will play a vital role in bringing change at the national level. We need not need to stay long in our current stage. From here on out, our defensive maneuvers should broaden, deepen and harbor many other aspects.
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We are undertaking holistic political, security, developmental, administrative, diplomatic, organizational, and governmental movements. We should make this leadership recognize by our members and people. Above all our defense political work should consider our people. Understanding popular movement is an important part of our defending power, we worked significantly on our people to continue defending while persisting any challenge. Consolidating safeguarding people/backend in all aspects means popular political work which centered on minimizing our vulnerability. In line with this, we worked on broad political works in Tigray. These include the political work of awareness creation on the whole community, continuous organization, and let them march.
While broadly mobilizing our development and defense forces, we boosted our enabling power and have begun to take action-oriented movements. Bringing change in this respect is a potential starting point to undertake other sustainable actions.
At this stage, we have managed to create clarity on the special for our struggle is taking and on the realities/affairs of the struggle. There is consensus and clarity among officials, members, and our entire people. Following the fertile grounds of our awareness creation work, we undertook the broad work of organizing the people. We also worked on our organizational structures to base on their mission’s structure and assignment thereby to be strong and undertake a practical activity.
The result suggests that in the previous 5 months, we were able to organize around 2.3 million people in Tigray. This is historical work by any measure. This is a great result that we didn’t accomplish in the previous 2 and 3 years. After organizing the people, we tried to let them march and involve them in practical defensive activities.
The election is one aspect of the phase. We have never had this level of mobilization in previous elections. There were also preparations made in our saving readiness. Regarding good governance, starting from knowing the problem and steps to resolving long-lasted “woreda” level questions based on our people’s participation is considered as one change.
Another important aspect of our political works is related to media. We repeatedly stated that media is our key power of political work and competition whether in Tigray or at the national level. There was a direction to evaluate the existing challenges in the area of media one by one. Based on this, broad and continuous work has been done to evaluate the committee which leads the media at all levels and to solve problems in the media institutions. We also tried to create and implement a better media structure, which will enable us to work better in the future. We officially established a permanent media committee that leads and organizes the media on the daily basis. Since the evaluation and the correction of the previous structure of the media enabled us to lead it firmly, it is playing a significant role in our national struggle. Tigray media could become the voice of the people. Since we can set agenda and go on the offensive, we became superior on ideas/get the upper hand on the enemy and let them assume the middle position. In this regard, primarily it played a role to expose the enemy’s very nature and behavior. The media also greatly played a role in publicizing the Tigray election.
In our national political work, we have set our agenda to expose the nature and behavior of this unitary and dictatorial group. This group’s undemocratic nature and wanting to stay in charge by denying the sovereign power of nations and nationalities. We have exposed its enmity to the entire Ethiopian people, it should be forced to leave its illegitimate hold on to power through popular struggle. We also made the point that the election led by this illegitimate entity should not be held, it is not a legitimate power and should cease to exist after September (2020), the solution to all the existing problems is in the downfall and substitution of this regime by a new all-inclusive political power from each ethnicity, nationalities, and people of Ethiopia.
The result of this became great potential for the strengthening of popular struggle. On the national level, the cooperation we started with organizations and people is hopeful. On the other hand, the considerable movement abroad also in the diaspora is hopeful. Our work on the war front is focused on military and security issues. To this end, we had been trying to create a better structure, and assigning officials who have better performance. The summation of all these brought better readiness on the national struggle by enhancing our competence and potential.
To correctly lead both the political work we undertook in Tigray and the role we had nationwide, we corrected our previous strategies and implementation. We tried to organize and lead the work which had been disorganized previously. After April (2020), we were able to organize a team that can mobilize all our forces, military, security on the war effort, and one which follows savings and contingency, which on the civilian front. A cumulative effect of the above will give our national struggle and diplomacy a better footing.
Though we started it late, there is a good culture of continuously evaluating the establishment, implementation, and progress of the mobilization and re-structuring efforts in the previous four months both by executives and officials in each sector. After conducting our evaluation, we stated the presence of some progress. But this means that the beginning of the work is good and we are not transformed to action to our full potential. Therefore, we could not say that all our efforts have reached a good level of stability and high interdependence. In Tigray, the defense activity in all aspects has not achieved the planned level. It could not go beyond political and security work while involving our other defense activities.
Even in our political work, we could not create comprehensive awareness both on the leadership and people to understand their roles and the existing danger thereby to survive/withstand any shock/danger by making enough readiness both mentally and psychologically.
There is also a problem regarding the content of defense. There is still a problem with leadership at all levels in line with working toward practical results while seriously discharging their responsibilities. By economic readiness, we mean one is a transformation plan and the second is our contingency plan and other readiness to survive the challenges we face. Aggravating this problem, the problems caused by COVID-19 are also not considered as light. For instance, our import and export trade has been affected significantly.
Good governance has not shown considerable change. One key problem is that the service delivery has not improved. Discrimination, bigotry, and corruption still plague our governance. For instance, our justice system is in deep trouble and there is still no improvement. Secondly, the problem of unemployment remains unresolved and unbroken. In general, there has been no fundamental change in this regard. In short, we have had scores of very poor progress regarding good governance. In our other work, we are not leading as strongly as our start, especially in light of the Covid-19 epidemic. The risk of the disease and ongoing illegal activities related to it is not an easy challenge. Our performance was good at the beginning but is now heading in a bad direction. There are still difficulties with performance and effectiveness in our media work. Similarly, there is a problem with sticking to the set plan. In Tigray, our administration is facing the problem of giving due attention to prioritizing activities. We have not been able to mobilize, organize and deploy our people. There is also a problem with the participation of all sections of the media, a problem with attitude, partisanship, quality, and quality in the content.
At the national level, these problems will not be easy. We have not taken the future outcomes of the new national challenges seriously. Of course, there have been recent encouraging developments, but we have not taken the necessary steps to engage our enemy more destructively. We have not properly strengthened the movement of the organizations that have started working with us, at least in the form of a tactical strategy to protect them from harm. In terms of strategy and tactics, we are still scoring low. To prioritize our key activities, both our distribution and our resources should be considered in strict discipline. We did not do our best to come up with a clear plan to dismantle this [enemy] force. This should be taken into account in our next political and military operations, as well as in the context of our military strategy. Moreover, our shortcomings in the process should not be taken lightly, given that we do not have the speed and time to take into account our needs.
1.3.2. The Tigray Election that turned the page to a New Political Chapter
The election we have held is named the 6th Regional Election, but in reality, it was the first and historic for its content and results. It is a right that the people of Tigray have struggled, fought, and sacrificed more than any others, to secure self-governance, self-administration, and self-sustaining to form a government. The people fought for the constitution and established it. However, because of the enemy in power, our rights, dignity, and very existence have been jeopardized or at stake.
The people of Tigray have joined the struggle to defend their homeland for the past two and a half years. The rights earned through this struggle are now in jeopardy by the enemy. The TPLF and the people of Tigray, however, were determined to make the election on time, it is not something we do when we want, or leave when we do not want. When we do this, it comes first and foremost from the beliefs of our organization. The decision-making power of the people is an important tenet of our organization. We cannot go wrong here. Secondly, it is also our constitutional obligation. Third, considering the challenges we faced, elections were our only imperative. We had no choice but to form a legitimate government through the election. Tigray election is unlike all previous elections; it is a choice of self-determination, self-autonomy, and self-defense. Our election is a milestone in the fight against the enemy, where the COVID-19 epidemic and short preparation time had been other challenges. It is also different in that it is an election that we held in the name of Tigray. This is new to us; we have set a clear strategy for such an election, as an organization, we have identified our goals and we have developed a code of conduct that governs and guides our members. As an organization, we have amended the constitution and the electoral law to expand the democratic environment of Tigray. We did our best to give other political parties a chance to compete. Some were 3 months old and others 45 years old. Parties with more than half a million members and those with 13 registered members were offered equal money, equal airtime, and equal competition opportunities. Even after the election results have been announced, we have made a historic decision to allow competing political parties to participate in a Shengo (communal congress) to accommodate different views. In fact, we have done our best, even at a time when Tigray is struggling to expand its democratic environment.
Above all, the people of Tigray have come together and acted with the same voice, the same position as the people. They took action with the same determination. The people of Tigray have made a new history. This nation has made an amazing history by demonstrating who they are. The election we undertook clearly shows that, the extent to which we are able to do
go. We turned a page to a new chapter; ending another one. The people of Tigray have done what they believe to be right. The people of Tigray voted and they won. It was also shown that one cannot separate the people of Tigray and the TPLF. The people’s spiritual determination by showing perseverance and being a model for other nations and peoples and a source of spiritual jealousy. The whole world watched the Tigray election, has seen our perseverance and is fascinated. In the realm of the enemy, they have created countless conspiracies and threats to turn us away from what we believe, but they have not succeeded. They tried but failed. We have done what they told us not to do. From doing, we occasionally made them mention our election. This was the process and outcome of Tigray’s election.
Even though the elections in Tigray helped us achieve this tremendous victory, it will also bring many challenges. The people of Tigray now expect a lot from us. Our party washed its hands and made cast the ballots in the early morning. Now the party needs to wash its hands and get up early in the morning to answer the people’s needs and questions. They are telling us “we want radical changes, we want you to make a difference, no more excuses”. While this is in the interest of our people, our leadership, on the other hand, wants to rest and relax because we have achieved a great feat. As a result, we are not yet able to see the hidden flames of bad governance and unemployment. The people of Tigray have perceived and seen the situation and have absolutely chosen our party. This does not mean that they were complacent and that they did not seek alternatives. It remains to be seen whether we are realizing this in the right way. In any case, we can never go too far in the way we came, the danger may come from within us, discontent and rebellion can spring up from within. So there is no doubt we are now sitting on a hot stove.
The election process was fundamentally successful, but there were some shortcomings that we could learn from. The nature of the democratic struggle has not been properly developed in all of our structures. We have not yet developed a healthy attitude to win the battle of ideas. In this regard, we can’t say there are no flaws – we have also been confused for lack of properly explaining the amended election law and its consequences. There is also the tendency to distort public results and decisions partly; the confusion was not easy because the result did not give us the proper explanation. Partly intentionally, partly without realizing it, the noise created had distorted public results and decisions. The tendencies are also visible.
What is partially happening among some political parties is another issue that needs to be addressed. Attitudes stemming from their basic principles are also getting louder. The opportunities we have created are overwhelming and these parties keep presenting excuses, looking for a girly way out. We should not underestimate the effect that this can have on us. Therefore, we need to take the situation into account, work with them, make them known to the public, and work to strengthen them as much as possible. We must work to make this new journey a success. The election is the key and crucial point of the match and what we say is happening. The enemy is trying hard to undermine our legitimate election. They also try to take various measures. They do their best to deprive us of our freedom and we will do whatever it takes to keep ourselves safe. We will never accept any temptation that comes our way. So we are basically going to make every effort to eliminate this [enemy] power. Therefore, the challenge in this regard should be to closely follow our elections.
1.3.3. Opportunity and risks in defending Tigray
There is no doubt that the struggle and defense we have embarked up on will succeed. There is a capability our struggle has created so far. The people of Tigray have come together as a people and are ready to overcome all kinds of provocations and challenges. There is a spirit of winning mentality and victory amongst us all. Our organization and leadership are being tested to lead in this challenging path. Even if it is not complete, our defense has a balanced approach, adjusting the organization. Success in raising our confidence and following this, we held an election and our party had a complete victory and we have now formed a legitimate government. Thus, a key factor or starting point in our ongoing struggle is in this situation.
The reality of the people’s struggle on a national level is convenient for us. Their willingness to fight alongside us and support us, as well as their motivation, provides opportunities for our future struggle. It’s also an opportunity to better grasp our part in the national crisis and to raise our demand so that our external influence may be heard. Another crucial reality is that we have reached a position when the enemy’s political, economic, and diplomatic distortions and losses can be overcome in a relatively short amount of time. We must broaden our horizons, conquer difficulties, and earn a long-term victory. Without a question, our victory will drastically alter the current quo and move the power balance in our favor. We’ll be a major player in Ethiopia whenever that happens. Justice and fairness can only be achieved through our struggle and the capability of our arms. Everyone will undoubtedly follow us when our powers reach this level. That is why it is critical to plan for and consider our long-term goals.
This stage of our struggle is full of opportunities as well as significant hurdles. The ups and downs of the struggle necessitate tenacity and resourcefulness. The people of Tigray are the most vulnerable to this genuine risk. To bring down the TPLF. This threat is not posed by one party to another. It’s a mix of unitary forces and Isaiah’s team. These Tigray’s combined enemies will do everything in their power to destroy the TPLF. Until we have entirely defeated them, the challenge will be difficult. We must seek to eliminate our adversaries. Defeating the adversary and fighting against it will be a difficult task.
As a result, we are not immune to the opponent’s temptations or the weakness of our internal organizational capability in our fight to eliminate the enemy. One of the issues we confront is the limitations of our defense so far, including the perception of all directions in our defense plan, as well as the work and readiness necessary. There’s also the issue posed by the recent election. Our leadership, following the party line, policies, and tactics, still has a weakness to meet the problems we face and complete our mission successfully. Simultaneously, ruthless, reckless leadership emerging, which will not be difficult in the future. To summarize, we are in a unique moment of our struggle that necessitates all of this capacity – organizational diligence, efficiency, the ability to effectively lead our existing platform, and the ability to grasp and lead a strong strategic unity position. It is important to note that the issue of strategic leadership remains crucial.
Part Two: Strategies, Tactics, and Directions for continuing the struggle
2.1. The dominant origins of our strategies, tactics, and directions
2. The floundering enemy’s final days are drawing near: The 6th round of the Tigray People’s Revolutionary Election, as we mentioned in Part One of this paper, has propelled the Tigray people, the TPLF, and the government to a new level of victory and struggle. The people of Tigray have reclaimed the unitary test and demonstrated to the rest of the world that they would never be vanquished by unitary forces, rising above and claiming key positions for the next phase of the battle. Internal tensions among the enemy are intensifying, and the enemy’s political, economic, and diplomatic margins are widening, especially as they become increasingly alienated from nations and nationalities.
The opponent tripped at that precise moment. It is devoid of a backbone. It’s time for the enemy to demonstrate interventions based on optimistic illusions, as well as blind and unrealistic all-encompassing distractive acts. As a result, the passage of time is becoming a significant factor for appraising the allied forces’ capability. If the measures directed at the enemy’s disintegration are delayed and uncoordinated, the enemy will be given a temporary life. As a result, now is the ideal time and condition to launch a coordinated strategic attack against the stumbling enemy.
In this regard, we have assessed the circumstances, as well as the strategies, tactics, and directions for which we have been fighting thus far, in light of the historical opportunities and victories we have achieved, as well as our strengths and weaknesses. Now is the moment to consider the situation after overthrowing the enemy, as well as our future defense strategies, direction, and tactics. Setting goals, strategies, tactics, and orientations that will take us to victory in order to protect our national interests is becoming a point of agreement and a beginning point.
3. So, where do we go from here? In view of our goals, the question of the people of Tigray and Tigrayan intellectuals has been answered in a way that will conserve our past and ensure
our progress. The people of Tigray have unanimously elected the TPLF. What path will the TPLF take us down in the future? We’ve arrived at a fork in the road, and deciding where to go is on the agenda. What is the destination of our next journey? How can the long-term interests of Tigray’s people be protected? What is the next chapter in our trip that we must break even and achieve lasting victory once and for all, rather than back and forth movement? What is the most effective strategy to go to the next stage of our struggle? What can we learn from our previous and present experiences? These and similar questions are the most important. The people of Tigray must have faith in the new approach, strategy, and course that will be followed. As a result, at this juncture, devising new methods, plans, and instructions is an excellent place to start.
4. Growth / Prosperity 2020 – a year in which the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and challenges that make us work together in many ways grow. The first is that through the experience so far, the Ethiopian nation, nationalities, and peoples have learned and are turning to civil unrest and protest for their rights. The possibility of a fresh chapter is quite exciting. It is a special year that we should strive for as a watershed moment in the country’s political condition and in guaranteeing Tigray’s people’s interests. It is likely to be a year of opening a new door and a new chapter by igniting the all-inclusive and united people-national movement when the adversary is under immense strain from external and internal forces.
The second and most important issue of this year is the year is bring growth/prosperity to our people. The people of Tigray in one voice have said to TPLF, I get up in the morning and wash my hands – I have chosen you to rescue me and serve me without any hesitation.” The people of Tigray expect and trusts our organization more than ever to solve the many and complex problems of our people in a timely and satisfying manner. It is impossible to satisfy this huge demand for change in our people with small things, and trivial activities. Our only option is to ensure that our people are satisfied with important matters and will witness the miraculous change. The people are waiting for us to make a huge change. The pace of change in the last 5 years needs to be seen in the first half of this year (2013). This change cannot be realized without growth and prosperity for our people. The coming growth/prosperity will strengthen our internal capability and it will help eliminate our internal and external vulnerabilities.
Third, the massive mobilization in February 2012 is part of our preparations, and we were keeping a very busy schedule by increasing our vast re-orientation effort, particularly in the run-up to the 6th general election and on security problems. These works were a huge success, much beyond our expectations. Its content was carried out in the fields of defense and the formation of a progressive army. This procedure demonstrated our entire mobilization capability. It denoted our ability to build an army capable of altering our overall progress and wealth. It demonstrates the need of moving rapidly to the next stage of progress and wealth.
According to what we’ve observed so far, the problem is that we’re having trouble unleashing our miraculous powers. We were able to do what used to take us years in only two months, and we completed massive mobilization works. In one day, 51% of voters were registered, and in three days, 91% of voters were registered. There is a significant contrast between what we intended to mobilize our base over the previous four years and what we did in only two months between June and July 2020. The mobilization of electoral forces was a miracle; the same is true for organizing and deploying armed troops. We discovered that we had enormous potential for development and wealth if we unlocked previously unrealized capabilities.
On the other side, we have seen the ability and the basis for huge development; nevertheless, the current mobilization is limited to electoral mobilization, popular organization, and security measures. As a result, we only elevated one foot. We have yet to turn our potential to areas like as good governance, saving, and social development.
As a result, we must understand that we are only walking on one leg and that we must accomplish development and progress that allows us to walk on two feet. As a consequence, our people’s hopes and defense for the desired level of growth/prosperity in 2013 have increased. We may conjure up a fantasy that fulfills our goals for expansion and defense. We put all of our great efforts into anticipating and thinking. This is a year of activism and collaboration. This is where the second guideline comes in.
5. Second Re-Orientation: Continually adjusting to rapidly changing circumstances and remaining flexible based on what has changed, strategizing and directing manpower, popular organization, and financial allocation and deployment to the best of our ability to realize the enemy’s rapid collapse.
To take the people of Tigray on a safe path, and the requirements for that are the fight and hard work required, as well as the strengthening of development democracy organizational structures.
The task of re-orienting our people needs to be rekindled, to transcend all borders, and in this manner, our unleashing our inner potential to establish a safe environment for Tigray is another guideline.
2.2 Transforming Tigray’s defense capacity to an irreversible level
2.2.1 A Strategy to strengthen Tigray Defense
I. Strategy for Strengthening Our Internal Capacity: Following our organizations’ role in rescuing the banned reform, particularly after we expanded the struggle against unitary and dictatorship, we have focused all of our efforts on Tigray, with the primary goal of ensuring the survival and security of the Tigrayan people. We’ve been working hard to improve. As a result, we were able to halt the attacks on us and secure the safety of our people. We will stick to that policy in order to deter future assaults. Thus, under any circumstances, we will work to transform Tigray’s internal defense strategy to the point where it will be able to defend itself irreversibly. While confronting all kinds of internal contradictions within ourselves, to overthrow the group in power, to rule the process after the Abiy’s group under our influence, most importantly, to ensure a lasting solution for the people of Tigray and everything go exactly as we wanted and predicted, the key is to maximize our bargaining power. If there is a strategy that we will never stumble and fall for, it will be a strategy to strengthen our internal capacity.
II. A strategy that identifies and addresses our internal concerns and vulnerabilities: A strategy listed above as a critical strategy, strategy to turn our internal capacity into an irreversible level, it is not just an internal but it is also a confronting strategy that has no alternative. Thus, it is used to coordinate and use all of the moving forces in the process of confronting. The key to our defense is our people. We will mobilize, organize, and direct all our people, rural and urban, youth, women, scholars, investors. We direct various sectors of society, civil society, civic associations, professional associations, economic and social partnerships, and our existing capacity in a way that allows us to use it at its most potential. We work with others who have the same political stance as us.
In All efforts to ensure that our democratic developmental government moves from top to bottom with a division of labour and distribution of work; it leads all capacities as a group (Ganta). It coordinates and leads EFFORT, REST, and TDA as a group. Our organization guides the confronting activity through its strategies, tactics, and directions. We make sure that our region’s democratic developmental government and our organizational work do not overlap and support each other, but rather create a synergistic effect that flows from all directions. To this end, each leadership level and committee in working to achieve the key work plan, work to improve the work plan by considering the situation in context. All four strategies will feed on each other and transform Tigray’s defensive capacity.
2.2.2 Identify and coordinate enforcement tactics and directions
2.2.2.1 Identify and coordinate political tactics and directions
I. Capacitating our organization for the platform mission
A. First and foremost, we need to create a struggle and mobilization within our organization in order for the TPLF to emerge as an organization that will effectively implement this existing forum and its purpose and ensures its transition. In order to ensure the unity of opinion and practice from the top to the bottom, it is necessary to fight with concrete action plans to ensure that the capacity of the internal democratic regulation and the continuous class struggle continues to be an integral part of our organization. Enhancing and expanding the organizational capacity of our organization by deepening and expanding the institutional capacity from top to bottom; Implement and enhance our collective leadership at all levels with strict discipline to mobilize and utilize our capabilities;
B. Awareness of purpose line, perseverance of purpose and fall for purpose; Identify alignment, walk side by side, see and implement everything in the public interest and purpose; Student cadre and a member who develops his knowledge and skills; strengthening the organization’s building by a well-rounded social base with a large population, by creating and refining and energizing a large number of new forces; In the midst of this all-encompassing building fence, the entire current defense is needed to working harder and harder to build self-confidence and moral integrity and competence defensive leadership from top to bottom;
C. Holding on to our organization’s performing platform, its historical mission, and its belief and vision, the issue of membership building needs to be addressed in-depth to fulfill its mission down the road. With its platform mission, we must work to make it to be a thoughtful, competent, functional, grand, and trans generational organization. If our organization, TPLF, fails to transform our people of Tigray into a prosperous society in less than two generations it will be a historic disaster for the people of
Tigray. On the other hand, we must overcome the current challenges. However, we must come out victorious by combining, assigning, and integrating the solutions to the current challenges with the agenda for a sustainable journey. Our journey to construct our system must be charted in this direction. Our current defensive campaign/Mekete/ and permanent journey are crucial for the developmental democratic path of our government. To make this path sustainable, extensive work plans should be put in place so that our members are filled with Tigrean scholars and youth alike.
D. The capacity and capability of our organization should be determined by its bounded wishes/needs. The existing/ actual historical need is to achieve the resurgence of the Tigrayan society in a short period of time and the long run creating the strong Tigrayan people and government that influence the geopolitics of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, led by our powerful and transformational organization. But it is very important to inquire and act on the question of whether our organization is in a position of building a huge capacity to accomplish the current need to execute its missions. The plan to create such a huge capacity should not be left for tomorrow as it lays an important foundation for our today’s self-defense. Whether it is for now or for a sustainable future, building substitutable leadership should be the focus of all our work. Our organization’s internal leadership centers; Central Committee, Executive Committee, and Offices should identify key government institutions and ensure institutional building and produce leadership that leads to the public, savings, security, and local and international institutions, etc. and the rural and urban model that guides our social base in the lower echelons and ultimately to produce a vast developmental democratic force comprised of youth and scholars. It is important to look into the Chinese and Singapore as well as other similar experiences that support this goal to achieve in general the Capacity building strategy especially the preparation of political leadership recruitment and institutions construction documents of our organization widely and qualitatively.
II. To ensure our developmental democratic government achieves its mission
a. In our government’s current developmental and democratic mission, the government, as a key executor and supporter, should work in every way we can to make it the tool for result and transformation. This means that enabling the government to develop transformational reforms and implement and achieve results on regular basis; creating working laws and regulations and leading them by strict discipline and decision making; responding to the people’s questions and problems in a quick, open, and fair manner; and to come out as a competent and committed government.
b. Create a strong government within constitutional order and constitution, from top to bottom, having its own legislature, judiciary, and executive which works in their constitutional mandate without one suppressing or protecting the other, rather that help build one another through balance and control and most importantly ensuring full transparency and accountability around the system and its structure – a broader and decentralized system with full accountability that enhances individual and team work and move them with their all capacities based on their shares build a strong government that mobilizes the defensive forces, builds and deploys on its own initiatives.
c. Immediate implementation of a new contract system of a relatively free and transparent forum that will build our developmental democratic government for good governance, fast transformational economic and social development, security and safety, etc. Using developmental democratic views where one competes and works only with his skills and abilities to achieve results continues, but the ones who haven’t been able to achieve results can be given necessary supports to achieve the result otherwise dropped out without any further delay. It is imperative to quickly create a short-term plan for a new defensive bureaucracy by creating a new political environment that produces diligent/qualified actors and criminalizes anyone that creates small or large obstacles.
d. The structure and institutions of our developmental democratic government can never be seen in isolation from the existing political economy. Even if one tries, this will be futile and will lead to a vicious circle and ultimate fall. Therefore, until the supremacy of developmental democratic political economy is proven in practice, within the given period, strengthening the capacity building of our developmental democratic government through political works, political struggle, and clear political view first and foremost, should be a matter of urgency. The focus of the struggle sees transforming policy and strategy to package by listing, understanding, realizing, and implementation of the existing works and plans as a primary matter of political leadership and struggle. Therefore, there should the discussion, training, and evaluation processes to identify and dismantle the obstacles that will hinder the progress of building capacity. The action led by this process as well as the structure and deployment system that addresses the mission is the core of this building project. At the same time, taking its share of political struggle, the Developmental Democratic Capacity Building bureaucracy without leaving aside competence, skills, knowledge, and technical issues – which combines knowledge, skills in general, should be centered on achieving results that focus on going capacity building activities in all respects with strong coordination.
ቀሪው ክፍል በሚቀትለው ተመልከት
Leaked document Reveals TPLF’s War Plan & Strategy – dated 10 October 2020 translated from Amharic Volume – 2
By admin on September 24, 2021
The Special Phase of the Struggle and the Continuation of our Defense Strategies, Tactics, and Directions
“Strictly confidential”
TPLF Secretariat
October 10/2020
Mekelle
Contents
Introduction
Part One: New Developments in the International, National and regional Political Landscape 4
1.1 ….. Developments in The International and Regional Situation in Relation to Our Country
1.1.1 New Developments in the International and Regional Arena
1.1.2 New phenomena in the region
1.2. New developments in national conditions
1.2.1. A new developments in an enemy condition
1.2.2. Further Points and Events in ethnicities, nationalities and peoples
1.2.3. In the case of elections and national political events/ facts.
1.2.4 Important Political conclusion on National Situation/Reality
1.3.2. The Tigray Election that turned the page to a New Political Chapter
1.3.3. Opportunity and risks in defending Tigray
Part Two: Strategies, Tactics, and Directions for Continuing the struggle
2.1. The dominant origins of our strategies, tactics and directions
2.2 Transforming Tigray’s defense capacity to an irreversible level
2.2.1 A Strategy to strengthen Tigray Defense
2.2.2 Identify and coordinate enforcement tactics and directions
2.2.2.1 Identify and coordinate political tactics and directions
2.2.3. A Tigray which has built a comprehensive institutional capacity (De-facto Tigray)
2.3. Destroying the enemy and initiating the country’s new reform for the benefit of Tigray
2.3.1. Campaign to defeat the enemy
2.3.2 What can we learn from the world and specific countries?
2.3.3. What does the future hold for Ethiopia and People of Tigray?
2.3.4. Final Solution to Tigrean people’s sustainable/continued benefit/advantage! Never again
The Special phase of the struggle and the continuation of our defense strategies, tactics, and directions
Introduction
We, the militants who are leading our people in this inimitable stage of struggle have been striving for the people’s enlightenment, by making explicit our questions, the objectives and, the appropriateness of our struggle, we have been defending the challenges we faced with endurance. Over the past two and a half years, the Ethiopian people in general and Tigray people in particular, have faced a tragic incident still we are in this challenge. However, it is indispensable that we continue to serve with our struggle and perseverance. Our struggle and defense so far make us models for other people and consequently, we have got more followers and partners. Yet, we still find ourselves in difficulties, we have become a key force in changing circumstances and to have the full potential for our current necessities.
On one hand, the escalation of our enemy’s internal conflict, political, economic, and democratic alienations are widespread, especially as it is increasingly isolated from nations, nationalities, and peoples. Now our enemy is confused. It has no backbone. It has no supporters. It is an illegal force that should not remain in power after October 5. On the other hand, in desperation, our enemy will defiantly try to take destructive action. In an effort to prolong their life, they may try to take a destructive course of action. On the contrary, we have respected the constitution, held historic elections, established a legitimate government, and raised our defense to a higher standing.
As a result, the battle against the enemy in all of its forms has reached a tipping point. We have reached a point where it is time to move on to strategic attacks to toss and bury the opponent in a short amount of time. We’ve arrived at the most difficult and final step. The clock is ticking. We can’t wait if we want to. The nature of the conflict is shifting. We can no longer maintain the status quo. As a result, we’ve arrived at a stage where we must carefully assess the issue, make a decision, and endure. We can’t afford to make a blunder. Our victory in the face of adversity is preparing us for a new challenge and struggle.
Our election victory has posed not only a challenge to the national battle but also brought internal issues to Tigray. This document is based on the evolution of a specific phase of the struggle that we have witnessed in the past, as well as subsequent new developments, the path forward, and the future direction we will pursue. Several things have changed since our last discussion, and we’ve moved on to a critical chapter. As a result, new questions arise that must be addressed. Where are we going after this? How can we overthrow the enemy? After the downfall of Abiy’s team, what will be the next step? What is the lasting solution? What will happen to Tigray in the long run? Have become key questions for our people, our leadership, and our members. These are questions that need to be asked and answered.
As a result, the purpose of this strategic document is to assess the existing situation and provide answers to the questions raised above. It is divided into two sections. The first segment evaluates our current defense and progress. The second section outlines our next strategy, tactics, and battle plan. This part is responsible for answering the forum’s mission and critical questions, as well as identifying, coordinating, and refining the greatest ideas. Specific concerns can be worked out later once the essential ideas and principles of this paper have been agreed upon.
Part One: New Developments in the International, National, and regional Political Landscape
1.1 Developments in The International and Regional Situation in Relation to Our Country
1.1.1 New Developments in the International and Regional Arena
We have continued, as we have in the past, to assess the impact of changes in the international situation on our country. Because we cannot consider ourselves independent of regional and worldwide political situations, the present global order has been at the heart of many of our discussions. As we have seen in our case, when changes in the global political environment have a detrimental impact on their well-being, nations, especially the West, act extremely strongly. Similarly, we must constantly monitor and analyze developments in global politics in order to adjust our positions to capitalize on opportunities and avoid dangers.
It is important to assess the international situation in the short term. It is also valuable to forecast future changes. Furthermore, when countries, particularly neighboring countries, contact us, they bring not just their interests but also the interests of their powerful masters. As a result, we must anticipate that our diplomatic relations with this country to be very complicated. So for this and other reasons, we need to regularly keep ourselves abreast of the situation.
We have seen that the economic downturn in the past, especially the Covid-19, and the competition, which has taken on more and more forms of competition, have shifted to a higher level. Strategic transition and change will inevitably bring great opportunities and challenges to nations and peoples. There will be opportunities to take advantage of the opportunities and create greater technological potential that will reduce the risks and create huge economic benefits. One of the ideas that we need to transform Tigray in 25 years hopes to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead and to adapt to the challenges we face, as big changes will inevitably take place around the world. With this in mind, we need to take a long-term view of the medium and short-term developments. For now, however, we will focus on the short-term performance of the current national situation and the key issues that have arisen.
Westerners, especially the US government, have been trying to increase their dominance in Africa. Especially in our region, they have been working to create dominant regional allies. They have continued to arm these forces. This aligns with the West’s strategic shift to cope with the global turmoil the Covid-19 pandemic has caused and the desire to re-adjust rules of globalization in order to protect their strategic interests. The Chinese desire to control Africa and Russia’s recently moved to strengthen relations with South Africa and the US has been working extensively to implement a containment strategy for China and Russia.
To this end, the West has tried to influence and dominate the biggest and most populous country in the region, Ethiopia. They wanted someone who can carry out their mission. In Abiy they found a willing horse whom they can ride to carry out their mission. However, the Western countries have discovered over time that the reforms they advocated have been imperiled. They have realized that Abiy cannot advance their interests. Abiy’s interests and the West’s interests are misaligned. Let alone executing their agenda, Abiy can’t hold on to his power for long. They do not want to ride a dead horse. Thus, the West is looking for a new partner who can carry out its mission. One of the most important strategic development lies here.
There are other reasons why the enemy (Abiy) is rapidly losing acceptance in the West. As we all know, the next American election season has begun. President Donald Trump is doing his best to win the next election. One of the key election agendas he hopes will get him votes is the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. By ensuring Israel’s security on the lands it controls and establishes a statehood for Palestinians on what remains, he wants to be the President that makes history by resolving this long-existing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
In order to implement this election strategy, he needs the support of Arab countries. To realize Donald Trump’s interest and Israel’s interests Arab countries were important. Egypt was the primary choice to fulfill the mission of convincing and influencing Arab countries. When the Egyptians accepted this assignment, in return, they have asked the Trump administration to intervene on their behalf on the issue of the Renaissance Dam dispute with Ethiopia. Donald Trump’s administration responded to the Egyptian requests positively. Under the pretext of ‘observer’, the Americans and the World Bank have tried to ensure the Egyptian side wins on the dispute over the GERD.
The American’s commanding Abiy to resolve things on the GERD was not the only request they had. They also wanted him to facilitate a good relationship between Sudan and other Arab countries and Israel. Abiy accepted their plan by saying, “Leave this to me, I will do it.” However, Abiy failed to accomplish both of these missions. Fearing widespread opposition from the Ethiopian people if he accepted the American’s deal on the Renaissance Dam, he has failed to accept the deal. The Sudanese didn’t listen to him, let alone act on what he asked them to do. However, he offended the Americans by lying about convincing the Sudanese. Because of this reason, his relationship with the Trump administration and his credibility have been severely damaged. They now consider him a meaningless force. Thus, the support of the Abiy group in the United States is virtually non-existent.
Moreover, Democrats are likely to be elected in the next election. The US election is hard to predict, but Biden is still leading. If Biden is elected, Obama’s key people are expected to come to power. Although these people have similar views on the reform, their position on the current situation in Ethiopia seems to be better. We will have the opportunity to build a better relationship with them. In connection with this, the Oromo movement in some US states could have a significant impact on the outcome of the election. They are actively supporting Biden in particular. As a result, even after Donald Trump, Abiy will not be supported by the Americans. Basically, the United States puts its own interests at the forefront, so it is unlikely that they will put all their interests in one box. Moreover, due to the ongoing anti-Abiy movement abroad and the humanitarian crisis in the country, many in the international community are adopting an anti-Abiy stance.
The ongoing opposition of members of the US Congress, the ICG, Freedom House, and some celebrities, etc., is greatly reducing Abiy’s reformist credibility. Abiy is isolated. In light of these new facts, the United States does not want to continue with Abiy. Just because they do not want to continue with Abiy does not mean that they will stop the reform process, they just want other options to continue the reform.
In Europe, most countries are worried that the country is collapsing. They fear that the Horn of Africa as a whole will suffer because of the instability in Ethiopia. They are concerned that the growing instability could lead to a major refugee crisis. They are losing hope in Abiy’s leadership because of the widespread human rights violations at home and the protests against him abroad. They are beginning to give ear to our position and the solution. As a result, many European countries and the Far-Eastern countries are interested in meeting with us outside of Ethiopia. Both the EU and other European countries are now pushing for deeper dialogue and negotiations. They took the position that dialogue is the solution. They hope the dialogue and negotiation achieve their interests in Africa.
Following this, there may be a situation where they say ‘Do this and don’t do that’. Fundamentally, no solution comes from a negotiation led by Westerners. As usual, they will try to have a continuous, extended, and tedious negotiation and, as we have seen in other cases. They see peace negotiations and dialogues as deployment and job creation opportunities for their international institutions and citizens.
Nonetheless, this is what is coming as a solution. In light of this fact, on the one hand, we have to support the increasing opposition to the Abiy government. On the other hand, we will work out a clear negotiation strategy that will not hinder the short and long-term interests of Tigray. We will act based on establishing our irreconcilable differences. Our strategy in this regard will be discussed in detail later, but our legitimacy has increased to some extent following our last two years’ struggle and the recent election we conducted that has attracted the attention of the whole world. They are saying, Ethiopia’s problem cannot be solved by isolating TPLF and the people of Tigray. If we work hard to develop our bargaining power in the future and to increase our demand, the benefits of negotiating may outweigh its disadvantages. Overall, the West’s position on Abiy is conducive to our struggle.
The situation in the Middle East cannot be seen in isolation from the global reality. It is an area of widespread crisis that even the superpowers failed to resolve. The alignment of these countries has changed the geo-political situation in the Horn of Africa. Since Westerners are preoccupied with their internal affairs, the Gulf States have been allowed to free ride in the Horn of Africa. The United States has been working on behalf of Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to implement its security strategy. They are working closely in the US election. We have already seen the role of Abiy in the above discussion. As a result, his friendly relations with these countries have weakened; it is an extension of his failure to agree on the GERD. The Arabs accepted Egypt’s idea of the Renaissance Dam and they were able to stand against Abiy.
The initial support and cooperation from both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have stopped. He isn’t getting the promised support. So as things stand now, the enemy (Abiy) is completely isolated.
One of the conclusions we draw from this is that countries are losing faith in Abiy’s government and he is alienated. The second important point is that they want him to take the initiative to solve the problem through negotiations. The third point is that there is a minimum possibility that they will intervene if we took the last and decisive move to destroy the enemy.
Apart from verbal threats, proxies and sanctions their threats will not amount to anything to derail our plans. Moreover, if we have increased our capacity, they may find us as an important force in the region. But that does not mean there are no challenges. They want to replace Abiy, not the reform. The negotiated solution they propose, especially if the West is involved, is going to mire us in a prolonged dispute with them. To be blunt the West’s hatred and skepticism of our ideological stand have always been a challenge. In general, we can conclude at this point that the enemy (Abiy) is increasingly isolated. There is no better time and a conducive environment for us to execute our final plans.
1.1.2 New phenomena in the region
Over the years, we have seen the Horn of Africa’s geo-political and evolving situation in the Red Sea become a major influence in the world. Conflict and humanitarian crises in the horn are on the rise and the situation in the Red Sea region is directly aggravating this. The change in the red sea geopolitics is making the horn of Africa a crisis zone and complicating preexisting problems. As the internal conditions of the horn countries change, relations with larger countries also change. The interests of superpowers and the Gulf States in the neighboring countries are affecting us both positively and negatively. Therefore relationship with neighboring countries is not only related to their national interest but also with that of superpowers and Arab countries. We must realize that the change here is crucial to our relationship.
Rivalry over religious, political, economic, diplomatic, military, and security issues poses a serious threat to the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Horn of Africa countries, on the one hand, are being victims of the competition between the Gulf States, and on the other, are using the competition to solve their internal political and economic problems. As a result, the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea are the battlegrounds of the mighty, and the Horn of Africa is being forced to take sides. Meanwhile, the struggle to seize control of the red sea at the hands of the client state has now intensified. Most IGAD member states have fallen into the hands of Arab states in search of financial support and a partner country. The internal vulnerability created by the organization has also exposed it to the intervention of foreign forces.
This shows that the crisis in the Horn of Africa makes it an area that is prone to large-scale intervention by foreign powers. These situations may certainly bring blessings or disguises to us. One important point, however, is the big role of Esayas and Abiy in weakening IGAD and complicating problems of the region. As a result, most of the countries in our region are losing touch with Ethiopia and calling the government the current obstacle. And, African Union has no influential leader. They cease their hope with the country and are hesitating to move their capital to other African countries.
In such a case, it is important to summarize the situation of our neighboring countries with us. We already said much that Sudan is our key partner due to economic, political, and security advantages. Although our interest is highly interlinked with theirs, on one hand, normalization of its relationship with Israel, sanctions lifted by the US, and more consensus among opposing groups may create a better condition, on the other hand, it is safe to assume that the US entry into Sudan will complicate our work in the face of severe economic crisis and instability in Sudan. Besides, Abiy is working to tackle our move starting from the embassy. He is deploying a lot of manpower in Sudan, including at the embassy to track our every move. Sudan’s interest is strong in resolving the border dispute between Ethiopia and Sudan. Abiy aims to create a chasm between Sudan and us; he said that the border dispute can be resolved gradually by starting from Tigray and continue with other areas. They are working with the EPLF to deprive us of entry and exit. Of course, Sudan realizes the conspiracy and did not accept it. Thus, Sudan still has a positive role for us; and they want to work with us in the future. It is important not only for entry and exit but also its role for our political work in other parts of Ethiopia is irreplaceable.
The relationship between Djibouti and the dictatorship is still strained and no new progress has been made. Their beneficial relationship with China, our common stand against Esayas, and their view of our struggle for the past two years make Djibouti strive to work and cooperate with us. The Federal Government of Somalia has a relationship with Abiy as it was, and no one wants to work with Abiy in the regions. Puntland, Somaliland, Juba Land are all opposed to Abiy. Their desire to work and connect with us is great. Abiy’s relationship with Kenya is also blurred. In general, Abiy has no good relationship in the region; in contrast, many neighboring countries want to work with us. Promising conditions are emerging.
In Eritrea, we have evaluated our relationship in our last review. Our evaluation stated that Esayas’ group is involved in Ethiopia and is working to weaken the TPLF and Tigray. We have also evaluated Abiy and Esayas have formed a political and military front to destroy us. They are working on the principle that the survival of one depends on the survival of the other. They are trying to do different kinds of subversive work, military cooperation, intelligence network, security agents, and assassination network. Even though they did not succeed, they have been trying their best. As long as Isaias exists and is capable, he will work to destroy the TPLF. So Isaias is still the clear and the main enemy of the present.
On the other hand, there is a growing public outcry in Eritrea’s anti-Isaias group. Political groups are saying: “we must work with the TPLF and the Tigrayan government”. Even if we look at the recent past, those Eritreans who believed it was a betrayal to work with “Woyane” are now changing their minds. The Eritrean youth movement has started because of the growing hatred of the Eritrean people against Isaias . Support of Eritreans in the locust infestation we faced is one growing example of our rapprochement. The Eritrean army is also raising questions. The question is whether they should go to war with Tigray.
For our part, there is some work to be done to bring about some improvements in the past and focus on better support. Eritrea is a neighboring country, but the work on Isaias ‘s group cannot be only diplomatic. It should include, therefore, security, political, and other areas of operations to defend Tigray.
1.2. New developments in national conditions
1.2.1. New developments in an enemy condition
About six months ago, on the one hand, we put that, this unitary dictatorship was violently suppressing the struggle of the people; one man dictatorship situation is becoming apparent; and while it’s moving on a downward spiral, that its ability to act is becoming strong. On the other hand, we have undoubtedly concluded that his character and identity are becoming apparent, that the struggle of the people is intensifying, and that this force will be defeated in the not-too-distant future.
The enemy using massive force and oppression had temporarily halted the mass violence and struggle that began in October and November 2019. It has turned many parts of the country under military rule and has resorted to unscrupulous anti-people activities to suppress the people’s struggle. And use the situation as such an opportunity that the election will not take place on time and it has decided to stay in power illegally. It is forcefully crushing those who do not accept this decision and potential obstacles and it completely turned to commit absolute anti-democratic acts. On the other hand, as the identity of this unitary and dictatorial group is being exposed, peoples and ethnicities are seeing it in broad daylight and are coming to the right conclusion. They have come to conclude that there is no alternative but to fight and overthrow this force. As a result, widespread protests and struggles have intensified since last June, particularly in Oromia and elsewhere.
In this tactical forum, the basic lineup of forces in Ethiopia is on the one hand new and existing national general forces (Unitarians) and on the other hand ethnicities, nationalities, and peoples. It is the struggle between these two that clearly stands out. We have come to the point where the situation has come to such a clear line-up and where the struggle process took a clear look. This dictatorial unitary group is becoming isolated from the people; its legitimacy and capacity are declining due to the opposition and struggle it is facing from the people. Differences in the ruling party are widening and their inability to work together is growing. Especially after the death of Hachalu, if we take Shimeles’ words, it is clear that inevitable in the ruling class is evident.
It is an assessment that we have already identified that the temporary alliance between chauvinism and narrow-mindedness can be dismantled. This natural conflict, inheritance contradiction, is becoming increasingly evident. The rift in the party and the rent-seeking investors and scholars is widening. In most parts of the country, the structure of the prosperity party is collapsing, declining, and being isolated from the people. Not only the structure of the group but also its supporters are being isolated and are leaving. At this time, a situation where it can be unified and govern is on the brink. Atrocities and kidnappings that
are taking place in all areas in order to expand the regime’s chances are fueling the ongoing struggle of the people. Moreover, it is anevent that is conducive to transform gradual change into an all-encompassing transformation and an opportunity to defeat and throw the enemy. It is easy to conclude that the current political situation is one in which the enemy has fallen into disarray and can be subjected to total distortion and destruction.
If we look at the economic situation, the problem is getting worse. The country’s economy, which has run without a leader for the last two and a half years, is declining at an unprecedented rate. The enemy by removing the existing developmental policy implemented a new supply economy, which is prescribed by others (foreigners). The policy stands against the city’s poor and farmers, completely excludes the majority of the population from the economy, and provides ample opportunity for the donors and the prescribers of the policy. Fundraising for ‘Gebeta lehager’, the construction of the waterfall, the construction of Unity Park, the construction of Entoto Park, and the development of the Addis Ababa City Rivers and other glittering projects are a manifestation of a flawed policy. Moreover, it is putting the country’s wealth under the control of Western companies. Evidently, the Ethiopian economy is now a network economy. It is under the control of certain dependent authorities, investors, and foreigners. Even most of the bank loans are given to the Amhara elite. The import and export business is controlled by these few people and whole manufacturing companies are turning to a gambling economy.
Various institutions are making their economic forecasts for the 2012E.C. fiscal year. According to the IMF, in 2020. Ethiopia is projected to grow by 1.9 percent. And it is projected to be 0 in 2021. Therefore, the economic situation of this country is at a critical stage. As a result, inflation has been rising steadily. Inflation has worsened at the national level, particularly in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Ethiopian Central Statistics Authority, inflation reached 21.5% and 22.3%, respectively, last June and July. There are virtually no exports at this time. Existing investments are closing. New investments have no interest. In particular, foreign direct investment (FDI) declined by a staggering 19.4% in 2012. As a result of the problems described above, foreign exchange is in serious trouble. It will continue to be an unsolvable problem in the future. In connection with this, Ethiopia’s current debt has reached 28.7 billion dollars. In 2019/20 alone, it showed an increase of $ 1.7 billion. In contrast, debt repayment capacity decreased by 2.4% that same year. As a result, more debt is being accumulated every year and on the contrary, debt repayment is declining every year.
The state of financial supply is also in jeopardy. At the national level, the annual growth rate of banks has dropped to 16 percent in 2012, the lowest in the last 10 years. Similarly, the annual growth rate of banks’ supply of finance to the economy has declined from 23.2% in 2018/19 to 20.9% in 2019/20. Moreover, there are a growing number of people who are losing their trust in the government and are taking out their money to foreign countries. There is also an increasing number of people holding their cash in their houses. The enemy has been trying to solve the problem by creating more problems. Instead of leading and motivating the economy, he is trying to solve the problem by using the advice (monetary policy) he received from Isaias. Recent restrictions on the amount of money that can be withdrawn from a bank, the amount of money that can be taken out of the bank and the measure to change money can be an example of this. These measures taken by the enemy are described by many scholars in the field as a “zero reason economy”. If we forget the other issues, spending 3.9 billion birr on printing a new currency is huge. While this country is in dire economic straits and high cost of living, spending so much money can never have a reasonable economic decision. Thus, it is clear that the change in money is more than just economic, it is political.
As we have seen, today we are moving to the point where eating and not eating is the main topic in Ethiopia instead of talking about development. The current political crisis is having a major impact on the economy. At the same time, the enemy’s alternative that leads to suffering disaster will likely strike in the near future. Starving people cannot be locked up and die. This and other political factors may cause the people to become involved in the struggle. The people could not afford to travel long distances. It is more likely for the people to take down the enemy with him. So in this case, it turned the enemy upside down.
Another important point is that in terms of diplomacy, the enemy is being isolated from both Western and regional governments. There is no support as there was in the past and it did not receive the promised support. They (foreigners) are concluding that Abiy is in danger because the Ethiopian people have not accepted the proposed reforms. It is largely despised by neighboring countries, with the exception of the Somali central government and Isaias’s group. The impact of the ongoing struggle abroad is also significant. Various governmental and non-governmental organizations are officially referred to the enemy as the “killer”. While the impact of the West’s skepticism on us is not insignificant, our struggle over the past two years and the recent successful elections have allowed us to be considered as a potential change agent in this area and to increase our demand in the region. In this regard, the decline of his (Abiy’s) legitimacy, the acceptance of our struggle, and the entire Ethiopian people is making the external situation favorable for the next fight against the enemy.
Developments around security and peace are another important issue. At this time, there is no peace in most parts of the country. Conflict, violence, massacres, and arrests have intensified. Massacre of protesters, a massacre of civilians is being carried out by the security forces. In Oromia, South (Wolayita and Sidama), Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, daily life is a nightmare. This anti-people force is primarily using its security structure. Paramilitary forces gathered in each region are also coming to slaughter the people. Deference force is doing what it is told to do. In Oromia, in particular, the paramilitary forces, like the foreign powers, are looting, raping women, and shooting young people in public. What could be more treason, prejudice, anti-people? As a result of such actions, the public is losing faith in the security apparatus. As a result, there is a growing sense of frustration with national defense.
However, the enemy’s power in this regard has not yet been weakened. It is trying to change the situation by using force. Of course, it is the security apparatus that is keeping the enemy alive. It is making great strides around the security establishment in order to maintain its long-term existence. The enemy by being suspicious of its commitment to do what it is ordered to do is trying to replace the old defense force, especially the force that is situated in Tigray (Northern Command), with a new one. At the national level, a large number of new forces have been introduced to train to change the existing power. It is also strengthening the Republican forces it has already begun organizing. The paramilitary forces in Oromia are also being armed and strengthened in all its forms. They are also doing similar work in Amhara. Isaias’s force was also brought into the country. The support that is being provided through training, intelligence, and manpower increase the enemy’s potential. From this, the enemy has not yet been weakened by military support. This is where it relies upon. Of course, the change in other areas is also determined by this military wing. If the balance of power needs to be changed, then disruptions in the political, economic, and diplomatic processes need to have the same effect on the military. So it requires a lot of important work in this regard. Our priority should be the defense force and the use of all sorts of alternatives to prevent it from continuing to be a tool of the enemy.
1.2.2. Further Points and Events in ethnicities, nationalities, and peoples
Ethiopians are currently demanding and battling for identity, democracy, peace, and development, among other things. As a result of these inquiries, new issues and inconsistencies emerge. According to the majority of ethnicities and ethnic groups, this force in power is ‘Neftegna’ and unitary. The majority of nations and nationalities, if not all, have concluded that Abiy is untrustworthy, deceitful, manipulative, and anti-citizen. No matter what he says, no one will trust him. They’ve also gotten to the point where he is committing acts of violence without restraint. People are learning from their mistakes and coming to the correct conclusion. They’ve thus progressed to unfettered acts of violence. The conflict between people’s rights and dictatorial rule is gathering traction. There is widespread agreement that the core of this conflict will not be peaceful; the door to peace has been shut, and they are preparing for it. People who are willing to fight and pay the price for the struggle have been reinforced in this regard.
Every day since last summer, the people’s struggle has manifested and strengthened new occurrences. In most regions, recent urban riots have been joined by the rural community, primarily farmers, and are now affecting the entire population. The people own the battle that has been and continues to be waged in Oromia, which is growing in both type and size. The “Qerroo” movement is a grassroots movement led by ordinary people. It will not be able to return. The entire population is battling together with their children. The majority of them are sacrificing their lives inside to fight the dictatorship. The diaspora is also better organized than it has ever been. Militants in Benishangul-Gumuz have entered the jungle with their weapons, utilizing traditional weaponry, and fought security troops in a series of battles. Gambella is no different. There is a serious possibility of armed struggle in Oromia Qerroo and OLF Shane, Amhara Kemise and Kemant, Benishangul, Gambella, Afar, and elsewhere, in addition to the present insurgency.
Civil instability in the South, particularly in Wolayita, is likely to worsen in the coming months. The adversary, though he tries to disturb our tranquility from afar, he is unable to do so. The government system in Amhara has nearly crumbled in many districts. There will be no peace, no growth if there is no order under command. In addition, the challenge in other areas is not insignificant. As a result, the Amhara people are growing increasingly angry and bitter. on the other hand, what is more, important in the Amhara region is people in Kemant, Agew, and the border areas, are struggling in the same way as everyone else.
The enemy, In Afar though he try to disrupt our peace he could not manage it. In Amhara, the structure of government has almost collapsed in many areas. No order under command, no peace, no development. Moreover, the challenge in other areas is also considerable. As a result, the people of Amhara are becoming frustrated and resentful. Primarily, however, the people in Kemant, Agew, border areas are struggling in the same way as other peoples. The position and principled struggle of the people of Tigray and the TPLF has been playing a key role in the struggle and support of the people. As a result, many people wish to join us in our fight against collaboration. Even if they have different ideas and beliefs, they wish to have a shared belief in the effort to overturn Abiy’s group in the future.
The movement, however, continues to lack well-organized and effective leadership. The original capacity has been significantly harmed. The adversary is scattering and arresting people who led or were assumed to lead the movement. They were unable to descend and lead and coordinate the march of the people. They remain vulnerable in the process. The fight, particularly in Oromia, will shift in both shape and size as a result of the leadership vacuum. Others are in the same boat. The people’s struggle is not adequately coordinated at the national level. The enemy was able to live due to a lack of favorable cultural conditions. A major Shift has not been possible due to the unsolved problem. Our move to full-fledged attack hasn’t gone well. Although the pace is slowing, the current condition is at the intended level. As a result, we must concentrate on developing the movement that we have started to address this issue, and we must be cognizant of our responsibility in doing so.
1.2.3. In the case of elections and national political events/ facts.
The adversary decided five months ago that elections could not be held because of the virus, and that they would stay in power eternally. COVID 19 was clearly not the cause. He took advantage of the circumstance, realizing that he couldn’t hold on to power in a credible manner owing to the continued social unrest and conflict, and he used it to extend his authority. So, why did he wait 5 months to vote this year? The fact that Abiy’s team has indicated that the election would take place has forced them to seek a solution. Both internally and externally, this pressure is mounting. Internal pressure is an important issue to consider. The Ethiopian people’s mobilization in Tigray and the influence it has had on the international community in order to prolong the September resistance, which declares Abiy to be an illegitimate administration, is crucial. As a result, he postponed the election in order to slow down the current insurrection, prevent future bloodshed and conflict, and ensure that he survives these difficulties. The election has been accepted not because there is a reasonable prerequisite for holding it, but rather because he believes it must be held. It was staged as a premeditated drama to derail the struggle and shift the agenda.
In this regard, he is disbanding and scattering the opposition’s leadership and structures in Oromia from top to bottom. He intends to maintain power through the use of force, money, intimidation, rigging elections, and manipulation, rather than through popular support. The key is that he did it to avoid the traps of September and October. Aside from that, he is attempting to collaborate with the businesses that he owns and operates. In Amhara, the prosperity party organization is dwindling, and he is now attempting to collaborate with NAMA. He is hiding in Oromia, misleading some of them. This form of drama also serves to weaken and detract from the ongoing struggle. Basically, it was a decision made after a long struggle that puts him in a difficult predicament.
The second reason is the influence of foreign powers on the fact that the election is better than the crisis without elections, and that the consequences of going to war with Tigray are partially understood by his advisers and observers. As a result, he was compelled to announce the date of the election before September 25. What will it bring to future political events/facts remains to be seen. However, it has a significant impact by cooling down the struggle of nations, ethnicities, and peoples.
If we don’t figure out why this is happening, we’ll be in a lot of trouble. Simultaneously, we stated that the struggle itself has a leadership problem due to a lack of general leadership. The enemy’s attacks on the struggle are harsh. As a result, if an election is held, there may be a propensity to overlook the struggle in the belief that the election will be used to gain power. This can be hazardous in a variety of ways. At the national level, not only may the struggle be reversed, but the problem can also be accumulated and brought to Tigray. As a result of our awareness of the issues, we must design ways to overthrow the enemy well before it held national elections.
Foreign entities may question, “What are you saying then?” if he declares that an election will be held. As a result of this, they will begin and strengthen their pressure on us to engage in discussions. They may try to resolve the issue with the majority of political groups by providing money and a power-sharing arrangement, as they have in some African countries. The majority of other political actors could be deceived and misled as a consequence of this. As a result, the task will not be easy. By causing us to spend time in a whirlwind, this will reverse the struggle that has got us to this vital moment.
We have elected and established a legitimate government. He declared that it was not a legal election. On the other hand, after September, we are saying you are not legal. We now have an open and public position. We have recalled our federally appointed manpower. Moreover, we are fighting for a clear solution to the problem. The enemy will not accept this. So we are now in the midst of a complete confrontation. He does everything in his power to degrade us, to put us in a quandary. He is trying to create internal rifts among us. Through his traitors and messengers, he works hard with Isaias ’ team. We will see what some of the competing political organizations in Tigray have to say about the upcoming election. Some in the (Tigray) opposition might decide to act against us if they get the support they needed, which may become their demise.
In order to ensure his survival, he might use many options to try to get us into trouble. He can start with soft power in advance. As the House of Federation decision passed currently that says “the federal government should not have relations with the Tigray government”. He said there will be no connection other than the return of basic development and basic services to the people, and he will not provide a budget. We understand the details of what this means and let the public know. Next, in terms of infrastructure, he will close the entrances and exits and create obstacles in other areas. This general decision can be applied as desired. It can then be transferred to the military. If he thinks he can, he can do both at the same time. On the other hand, he may not do all of this. If we create a challenge and the circumstances change in the first place, we can make him do things according to our plan. And if we succeed, we can make the enemy unhinged. In any case, there may be events related to the election. Therefore, the confusion that can be caused by choice in the fight to defeat the enemy should be one of our main focuses. The center of all our work must be moving the people of Ethiopia, both to prevent a slowdown and to move out of the current trap. The nature of the struggle must be changed.
1.2.4 Important Political conclusion on National Situation/Reality
In the above section, we discussed global situations in line with our struggle, enemy’s situation, Ethiopian peoples’ struggle, election, and issues related to our country’s next political fate. Based on the existing situation and the pieces of evidence we see, we can conclude that our struggle is sliding into a critical chapter. This is the right year, month, day, and hour for destroying our enemy. We cannot live side by side with this enemy. As a nation, we are in a difficult challenge too. This country may crumble in the presence of this dictator or after him. The long-lasted peaceful struggle is also being no longer an option. We are forced to choose another option rather than a peaceful struggle.
The ever-increasing opposition is not bad, but it should bring about radical change through critical struggle. The enemy is confused in many aspects. This confused enemy should be destroyed without delay. On the currently existing economic crisis, with the Oromo opposition growing and consolidating, with other opposition leaders, nations, and nationalities questioning the legitimacy of the enemy, we may make the short-term collapse of the enemy inevitable. If we could organize and work on our struggle in all aspects of political, military, and diplomacy, it will play a vital role in bringing change at the national level. We need not need to stay long in our current stage. From here on out, our defensive maneuvers should broaden, deepen and harbor many other aspects.
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We are undertaking holistic political, security, developmental, administrative, diplomatic, organizational, and governmental movements. We should make this leadership recognize by our members and people. Above all our defense political work should consider our people. Understanding popular movement is an important part of our defending power, we worked significantly on our people to continue defending while persisting any challenge. Consolidating safeguarding people/backend in all aspects means popular political work which centered on minimizing our vulnerability. In line with this, we worked on broad political works in Tigray. These include the political work of awareness creation on the whole community, continuous organization, and let them march.
While broadly mobilizing our development and defense forces, we boosted our enabling power and have begun to take action-oriented movements. Bringing change in this respect is a potential starting point to undertake other sustainable actions.
At this stage, we have managed to create clarity on the special for our struggle is taking and on the realities/affairs of the struggle. There is consensus and clarity among officials, members, and our entire people. Following the fertile grounds of our awareness creation work, we undertook the broad work of organizing the people. We also worked on our organizational structures to base on their mission’s structure and assignment thereby to be strong and undertake a practical activity.
The result suggests that in the previous 5 months, we were able to organize around 2.3 million people in Tigray. This is historical work by any measure. This is a great result that we didn’t accomplish in the previous 2 and 3 years. After organizing the people, we tried to let them march and involve them in practical defensive activities.
The election is one aspect of the phase. We have never had this level of mobilization in previous elections. There were also preparations made in our saving readiness. Regarding good governance, starting from knowing the problem and steps to resolving long-lasted “woreda” level questions based on our people’s participation is considered as one change.
Another important aspect of our political works is related to media. We repeatedly stated that media is our key power of political work and competition whether in Tigray or at the national level. There was a direction to evaluate the existing challenges in the area of media one by one. Based on this, broad and continuous work has been done to evaluate the committee which leads the media at all levels and to solve problems in the media institutions. We also tried to create and implement a better media structure, which will enable us to work better in the future. We officially established a permanent media committee that leads and organizes the media on the daily basis. Since the evaluation and the correction of the previous structure of the media enabled us to lead it firmly, it is playing a significant role in our national struggle. Tigray media could become the voice of the people. Since we can set agenda and go on the offensive, we became superior on ideas/get the upper hand on the enemy and let them assume the middle position. In this regard, primarily it played a role to expose the enemy’s very nature and behavior. The media also greatly played a role in publicizing the Tigray election.
In our national political work, we have set our agenda to expose the nature and behavior of this unitary and dictatorial group. This group’s undemocratic nature and wanting to stay in charge by denying the sovereign power of nations and nationalities. We have exposed its enmity to the entire Ethiopian people, it should be forced to leave its illegitimate hold on to power through popular struggle. We also made the point that the election led by this illegitimate entity should not be held, it is not a legitimate power and should cease to exist after September (2020), the solution to all the existing problems is in the downfall and substitution of this regime by a new all-inclusive political power from each ethnicity, nationalities, and people of Ethiopia.
The result of this became great potential for the strengthening of popular struggle. On the national level, the cooperation we started with organizations and people is hopeful. On the other hand, the considerable movement abroad also in the diaspora is hopeful. Our work on the war front is focused on military and security issues. To this end, we had been trying to create a better structure, and assigning officials who have better performance. The summation of all these brought better readiness on the national struggle by enhancing our competence and potential.
To correctly lead both the political work we undertook in Tigray and the role we had nationwide, we corrected our previous strategies and implementation. We tried to organize and lead the work which had been disorganized previously. After April (2020), we were able to organize a team that can mobilize all our forces, military, security on the war effort, and one which follows savings and contingency, which on the civilian front. A cumulative effect of the above will give our national struggle and diplomacy a better footing.
Though we started it late, there is a good culture of continuously evaluating the establishment, implementation, and progress of the mobilization and re-structuring efforts in the previous four months both by executives and officials in each sector. After conducting our evaluation, we stated the presence of some progress. But this means that the beginning of the work is good and we are not transformed to action to our full potential. Therefore, we could not say that all our efforts have reached a good level of stability and high interdependence. In Tigray, the defense activity in all aspects has not achieved the planned level. It could not go beyond political and security work while involving our other defense activities.
Even in our political work, we could not create comprehensive awareness both on the leadership and people to understand their roles and the existing danger thereby to survive/withstand any shock/danger by making enough readiness both mentally and psychologically.
There is also a problem regarding the content of defense. There is still a problem with leadership at all levels in line with working toward practical results while seriously discharging their responsibilities. By economic readiness, we mean one is a transformation plan and the second is our contingency plan and other readiness to survive the challenges we face. Aggravating this problem, the problems caused by COVID-19 are also not considered as light. For instance, our import and export trade has been affected significantly.
Good governance has not shown considerable change. One key problem is that the service delivery has not improved. Discrimination, bigotry, and corruption still plague our governance. For instance, our justice system is in deep trouble and there is still no improvement. Secondly, the problem of unemployment remains unresolved and unbroken. In general, there has been no fundamental change in this regard. In short, we have had scores of very poor progress regarding good governance. In our other work, we are not leading as strongly as our start, especially in light of the Covid-19 epidemic. The risk of the disease and ongoing illegal activities related to it is not an easy challenge. Our performance was good at the beginning but is now heading in a bad direction. There are still difficulties with performance and effectiveness in our media work. Similarly, there is a problem with sticking to the set plan. In Tigray, our administration is facing the problem of giving due attention to prioritizing activities. We have not been able to mobilize, organize and deploy our people. There is also a problem with the participation of all sections of the media, a problem with attitude, partisanship, quality, and quality in the content.
At the national level, these problems will not be easy. We have not taken the future outcomes of the new national challenges seriously. Of course, there have been recent encouraging developments, but we have not taken the necessary steps to engage our enemy more destructively. We have not properly strengthened the movement of the organizations that have started working with us, at least in the form of a tactical strategy to protect them from harm. In terms of strategy and tactics, we are still scoring low. To prioritize our key activities, both our distribution and our resources should be considered in strict discipline. We did not do our best to come up with a clear plan to dismantle this [enemy] force. This should be taken into account in our next political and military operations, as well as in the context of our military strategy. Moreover, our shortcomings in the process should not be taken lightly, given that we do not have the speed and time to take into account our needs.
1.3.2. The Tigray Election that turned the page to a New Political Chapter
The election we have held is named the 6th Regional Election, but in reality, it was the first and historic for its content and results. It is a right that the people of Tigray have struggled, fought, and sacrificed more than any others, to secure self-governance, self-administration, and self-sustaining to form a government. The people fought for the constitution and established it. However, because of the enemy in power, our rights, dignity, and very existence have been jeopardized or at stake.
The people of Tigray have joined the struggle to defend their homeland for the past two and a half years. The rights earned through this struggle are now in jeopardy by the enemy. The TPLF and the people of Tigray, however, were determined to make the election on time, it is not something we do when we want, or leave when we do not want. When we do this, it comes first and foremost from the beliefs of our organization. The decision-making power of the people is an important tenet of our organization. We cannot go wrong here. Secondly, it is also our constitutional obligation. Third, considering the challenges we faced, elections were our only imperative. We had no choice but to form a legitimate government through the election. Tigray election is unlike all previous elections; it is a choice of self-determination, self-autonomy, and self-defense. Our election is a milestone in the fight against the enemy, where the COVID-19 epidemic and short preparation time had been other challenges. It is also different in that it is an election that we held in the name of Tigray. This is new to us; we have set a clear strategy for such an election, as an organization, we have identified our goals and we have developed a code of conduct that governs and guides our members. As an organization, we have amended the constitution and the electoral law to expand the democratic environment of Tigray. We did our best to give other political parties a chance to compete. Some were 3 months old and others 45 years old. Parties with more than half a million members and those with 13 registered members were offered equal money, equal airtime, and equal competition opportunities. Even after the election results have been announced, we have made a historic decision to allow competing political parties to participate in a Shengo (communal congress) to accommodate different views. In fact, we have done our best, even at a time when Tigray is struggling to expand its democratic environment.
Above all, the people of Tigray have come together and acted with the same voice, the same position as the people. They took action with the same determination. The people of Tigray have made a new history. This nation has made an amazing history by demonstrating who they are. The election we undertook clearly shows that, the extent to which we are able to do
go. We turned a page to a new chapter; ending another one. The people of Tigray have done what they believe to be right. The people of Tigray voted and they won. It was also shown that one cannot separate the people of Tigray and the TPLF. The people’s spiritual determination by showing perseverance and being a model for other nations and peoples and a source of spiritual jealousy. The whole world watched the Tigray election, has seen our perseverance and is fascinated. In the realm of the enemy, they have created countless conspiracies and threats to turn us away from what we believe, but they have not succeeded. They tried but failed. We have done what they told us not to do. From doing, we occasionally made them mention our election. This was the process and outcome of Tigray’s election.
Even though the elections in Tigray helped us achieve this tremendous victory, it will also bring many challenges. The people of Tigray now expect a lot from us. Our party washed its hands and made cast the ballots in the early morning. Now the party needs to wash its hands and get up early in the morning to answer the people’s needs and questions. They are telling us “we want radical changes, we want you to make a difference, no more excuses”. While this is in the interest of our people, our leadership, on the other hand, wants to rest and relax because we have achieved a great feat. As a result, we are not yet able to see the hidden flames of bad governance and unemployment. The people of Tigray have perceived and seen the situation and have absolutely chosen our party. This does not mean that they were complacent and that they did not seek alternatives. It remains to be seen whether we are realizing this in the right way. In any case, we can never go too far in the way we came, the danger may come from within us, discontent and rebellion can spring up from within. So there is no doubt we are now sitting on a hot stove.
The election process was fundamentally successful, but there were some shortcomings that we could learn from. The nature of the democratic struggle has not been properly developed in all of our structures. We have not yet developed a healthy attitude to win the battle of ideas. In this regard, we can’t say there are no flaws – we have also been confused for lack of properly explaining the amended election law and its consequences. There is also the tendency to distort public results and decisions partly; the confusion was not easy because the result did not give us the proper explanation. Partly intentionally, partly without realizing it, the noise created had distorted public results and decisions. The tendencies are also visible.
What is partially happening among some political parties is another issue that needs to be addressed. Attitudes stemming from their basic principles are also getting louder. The opportunities we have created are overwhelming and these parties keep presenting excuses, looking for a girly way out. We should not underestimate the effect that this can have on us. Therefore, we need to take the situation into account, work with them, make them known to the public, and work to strengthen them as much as possible. We must work to make this new journey a success. The election is the key and crucial point of the match and what we say is happening. The enemy is trying hard to undermine our legitimate election. They also try to take various measures. They do their best to deprive us of our freedom and we will do whatever it takes to keep ourselves safe. We will never accept any temptation that comes our way. So we are basically going to make every effort to eliminate this [enemy] power. Therefore, the challenge in this regard should be to closely follow our elections.
1.3.3. Opportunity and risks in defending Tigray
There is no doubt that the struggle and defense we have embarked up on will succeed. There is a capability our struggle has created so far. The people of Tigray have come together as a people and are ready to overcome all kinds of provocations and challenges. There is a spirit of winning mentality and victory amongst us all. Our organization and leadership are being tested to lead in this challenging path. Even if it is not complete, our defense has a balanced approach, adjusting the organization. Success in raising our confidence and following this, we held an election and our party had a complete victory and we have now formed a legitimate government. Thus, a key factor or starting point in our ongoing struggle is in this situation.
The reality of the people’s struggle on a national level is convenient for us. Their willingness to fight alongside us and support us, as well as their motivation, provides opportunities for our future struggle. It’s also an opportunity to better grasp our part in the national crisis and to raise our demand so that our external influence may be heard. Another crucial reality is that we have reached a position when the enemy’s political, economic, and diplomatic distortions and losses can be overcome in a relatively short amount of time. We must broaden our horizons, conquer difficulties, and earn a long-term victory. Without a question, our victory will drastically alter the current quo and move the power balance in our favor. We’ll be a major player in Ethiopia whenever that happens. Justice and fairness can only be achieved through our struggle and the capability of our arms. Everyone will undoubtedly follow us when our powers reach this level. That is why it is critical to plan for and consider our long-term goals.
This stage of our struggle is full of opportunities as well as significant hurdles. The ups and downs of the struggle necessitate tenacity and resourcefulness. The people of Tigray are the most vulnerable to this genuine risk. To bring down the TPLF. This threat is not posed by one party to another. It’s a mix of unitary forces and Isaiah’s team. These Tigray’s combined enemies will do everything in their power to destroy the TPLF. Until we have entirely defeated them, the challenge will be difficult. We must seek to eliminate our adversaries. Defeating the adversary and fighting against it will be a difficult task.
As a result, we are not immune to the opponent’s temptations or the weakness of our internal organizational capability in our fight to eliminate the enemy. One of the issues we confront is the limitations of our defense so far, including the perception of all directions in our defense plan, as well as the work and readiness necessary. There’s also the issue posed by the recent election. Our leadership, following the party line, policies, and tactics, still has a weakness to meet the problems we face and complete our mission successfully. Simultaneously, ruthless, reckless leadership emerging, which will not be difficult in the future. To summarize, we are in a unique moment of our struggle that necessitates all of this capacity – organizational diligence, efficiency, the ability to effectively lead our existing platform, and the ability to grasp and lead a strong strategic unity position. It is important to note that the issue of strategic leadership remains crucial.
Part Two: Strategies, Tactics, and Directions for continuing the struggle
2.1. The dominant origins of our strategies, tactics, and directions
2. The floundering enemy’s final days are drawing near: The 6th round of the Tigray People’s Revolutionary Election, as we mentioned in Part One of this paper, has propelled the Tigray people, the TPLF, and the government to a new level of victory and struggle. The people of Tigray have reclaimed the unitary test and demonstrated to the rest of the world that they would never be vanquished by unitary forces, rising above and claiming key positions for the next phase of the battle. Internal tensions among the enemy are intensifying, and the enemy’s political, economic, and diplomatic margins are widening, especially as they become increasingly alienated from nations and nationalities.
The opponent tripped at that precise moment. It is devoid of a backbone. It’s time for the enemy to demonstrate interventions based on optimistic illusions, as well as blind and unrealistic all-encompassing distractive acts. As a result, the passage of time is becoming a significant factor for appraising the allied forces’ capability. If the measures directed at the enemy’s disintegration are delayed and uncoordinated, the enemy will be given a temporary life. As a result, now is the ideal time and condition to launch a coordinated strategic attack against the stumbling enemy.
In this regard, we have assessed the circumstances, as well as the strategies, tactics, and directions for which we have been fighting thus far, in light of the historical opportunities and victories we have achieved, as well as our strengths and weaknesses. Now is the moment to consider the situation after overthrowing the enemy, as well as our future defense strategies, direction, and tactics. Setting goals, strategies, tactics, and orientations that will take us to victory in order to protect our national interests is becoming a point of agreement and a beginning point.
3. So, where do we go from here? In view of our goals, the question of the people of Tigray and Tigrayan intellectuals has been answered in a way that will conserve our past and ensure
our progress. The people of Tigray have unanimously elected the TPLF. What path will the TPLF take us down in the future? We’ve arrived at a fork in the road, and deciding where to go is on the agenda. What is the destination of our next journey? How can the long-term interests of Tigray’s people be protected? What is the next chapter in our trip that we must break even and achieve lasting victory once and for all, rather than back and forth movement? What is the most effective strategy to go to the next stage of our struggle? What can we learn from our previous and present experiences? These and similar questions are the most important. The people of Tigray must have faith in the new approach, strategy, and course that will be followed. As a result, at this juncture, devising new methods, plans, and instructions is an excellent place to start.
4. Growth / Prosperity 2020 – a year in which the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and challenges that make us work together in many ways grow. The first is that through the experience so far, the Ethiopian nation, nationalities, and peoples have learned and are turning to civil unrest and protest for their rights. The possibility of a fresh chapter is quite exciting. It is a special year that we should strive for as a watershed moment in the country’s political condition and in guaranteeing Tigray’s people’s interests. It is likely to be a year of opening a new door and a new chapter by igniting the all-inclusive and united people-national movement when the adversary is under immense strain from external and internal forces.
The second and most important issue of this year is the year is bring growth/prosperity to our people. The people of Tigray in one voice have said to TPLF, I get up in the morning and wash my hands – I have chosen you to rescue me and serve me without any hesitation.” The people of Tigray expect and trusts our organization more than ever to solve the many and complex problems of our people in a timely and satisfying manner. It is impossible to satisfy this huge demand for change in our people with small things, and trivial activities. Our only option is to ensure that our people are satisfied with important matters and will witness the miraculous change. The people are waiting for us to make a huge change. The pace of change in the last 5 years needs to be seen in the first half of this year (2013). This change cannot be realized without growth and prosperity for our people. The coming growth/prosperity will strengthen our internal capability and it will help eliminate our internal and external vulnerabilities.
Third, the massive mobilization in February 2012 is part of our preparations, and we were keeping a very busy schedule by increasing our vast re-orientation effort, particularly in the run-up to the 6th general election and on security problems. These works were a huge success, much beyond our expectations. Its content was carried out in the fields of defense and the formation of a progressive army. This procedure demonstrated our entire mobilization capability. It denoted our ability to build an army capable of altering our overall progress and wealth. It demonstrates the need of moving rapidly to the next stage of progress and wealth.
According to what we’ve observed so far, the problem is that we’re having trouble unleashing our miraculous powers. We were able to do what used to take us years in only two months, and we completed massive mobilization works. In one day, 51% of voters were registered, and in three days, 91% of voters were registered. There is a significant contrast between what we intended to mobilize our base over the previous four years and what we did in only two months between June and July 2020. The mobilization of electoral forces was a miracle; the same is true for organizing and deploying armed troops. We discovered that we had enormous potential for development and wealth if we unlocked previously unrealized capabilities.
On the other side, we have seen the ability and the basis for huge development; nevertheless, the current mobilization is limited to electoral mobilization, popular organization, and security measures. As a result, we only elevated one foot. We have yet to turn our potential to areas like as good governance, saving, and social development.
As a result, we must understand that we are only walking on one leg and that we must accomplish development and progress that allows us to walk on two feet. As a consequence, our people’s hopes and defense for the desired level of growth/prosperity in 2013 have increased. We may conjure up a fantasy that fulfills our goals for expansion and defense. We put all of our great efforts into anticipating and thinking. This is a year of activism and collaboration. This is where the second guideline comes in.
5. Second Re-Orientation: Continually adjusting to rapidly changing circumstances and remaining flexible based on what has changed, strategizing and directing manpower, popular organization, and financial allocation and deployment to the best of our ability to realize the enemy’s rapid collapse.
To take the people of Tigray on a safe path, and the requirements for that are the fight and hard work required, as well as the strengthening of development democracy organizational structures.
The task of re-orienting our people needs to be rekindled, to transcend all borders, and in this manner, our unleashing our inner potential to establish a safe environment for Tigray is another guideline.
2.2 Transforming Tigray’s defense capacity to an irreversible level
2.2.1 A Strategy to strengthen Tigray Defense
I. Strategy for Strengthening Our Internal Capacity: Following our organizations’ role in rescuing the banned reform, particularly after we expanded the struggle against unitary and dictatorship, we have focused all of our efforts on Tigray, with the primary goal of ensuring the survival and security of the Tigrayan people. We’ve been working hard to improve. As a result, we were able to halt the attacks on us and secure the safety of our people. We will stick to that policy in order to deter future assaults. Thus, under any circumstances, we will work to transform Tigray’s internal defense strategy to the point where it will be able to defend itself irreversibly. While confronting all kinds of internal contradictions within ourselves, to overthrow the group in power, to rule the process after the Abiy’s group under our influence, most importantly, to ensure a lasting solution for the people of Tigray and everything go exactly as we wanted and predicted, the key is to maximize our bargaining power. If there is a strategy that we will never stumble and fall for, it will be a strategy to strengthen our internal capacity.
II. A strategy that identifies and addresses our internal concerns and vulnerabilities: A strategy listed above as a critical strategy, strategy to turn our internal capacity into an irreversible level, it is not just an internal but it is also a confronting strategy that has no alternative. Thus, it is used to coordinate and use all of the moving forces in the process of confronting. The key to our defense is our people. We will mobilize, organize, and direct all our people, rural and urban, youth, women, scholars, investors. We direct various sectors of society, civil society, civic associations, professional associations, economic and social partnerships, and our existing capacity in a way that allows us to use it at its most potential. We work with others who have the same political stance as us.
In All efforts to ensure that our democratic developmental government moves from top to bottom with a division of labour and distribution of work; it leads all capacities as a group (Ganta). It coordinates and leads EFFORT, REST, and TDA as a group. Our organization guides the confronting activity through its strategies, tactics, and directions. We make sure that our region’s democratic developmental government and our organizational work do not overlap and support each other, but rather create a synergistic effect that flows from all directions. To this end, each leadership level and committee in working to achieve the key work plan, work to improve the work plan by considering the situation in context. All four strategies will feed on each other and transform Tigray’s defensive capacity.
2.2.2 Identify and coordinate enforcement tactics and directions
2.2.2.1 Identify and coordinate political tactics and directions
I. Capacitating our organization for the platform mission
A. First and foremost, we need to create a struggle and mobilization within our organization in order for the TPLF to emerge as an organization that will effectively implement this existing forum and its purpose and ensures its transition. In order to ensure the unity of opinion and practice from the top to the bottom, it is necessary to fight with concrete action plans to ensure that the capacity of the internal democratic regulation and the continuous class struggle continues to be an integral part of our organization. Enhancing and expanding the organizational capacity of our organization by deepening and expanding the institutional capacity from top to bottom; Implement and enhance our collective leadership at all levels with strict discipline to mobilize and utilize our capabilities;
B. Awareness of purpose line, perseverance of purpose and fall for purpose; Identify alignment, walk side by side, see and implement everything in the public interest and purpose; Student cadre and a member who develops his knowledge and skills; strengthening the organization’s building by a well-rounded social base with a large population, by creating and refining and energizing a large number of new forces; In the midst of this all-encompassing building fence, the entire current defense is needed to working harder and harder to build self-confidence and moral integrity and competence defensive leadership from top to bottom;
C. Holding on to our organization’s performing platform, its historical mission, and its belief and vision, the issue of membership building needs to be addressed in-depth to fulfill its mission down the road. With its platform mission, we must work to make it to be a thoughtful, competent, functional, grand, and trans generational organization. If our organization, TPLF, fails to transform our people of Tigray into a prosperous society in less than two generations it will be a historic disaster for the people of
Tigray. On the other hand, we must overcome the current challenges. However, we must come out victorious by combining, assigning, and integrating the solutions to the current challenges with the agenda for a sustainable journey. Our journey to construct our system must be charted in this direction. Our current defensive campaign/Mekete/ and permanent journey are crucial for the developmental democratic path of our government. To make this path sustainable, extensive work plans should be put in place so that our members are filled with Tigrean scholars and youth alike.
D. The capacity and capability of our organization should be determined by its bounded wishes/needs. The existing/ actual historical need is to achieve the resurgence of the Tigrayan society in a short period of time and the long run creating the strong Tigrayan people and government that influence the geopolitics of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, led by our powerful and transformational organization. But it is very important to inquire and act on the question of whether our organization is in a position of building a huge capacity to accomplish the current need to execute its missions. The plan to create such a huge capacity should not be left for tomorrow as it lays an important foundation for our today’s self-defense. Whether it is for now or for a sustainable future, building substitutable leadership should be the focus of all our work. Our organization’s internal leadership centers; Central Committee, Executive Committee, and Offices should identify key government institutions and ensure institutional building and produce leadership that leads to the public, savings, security, and local and international institutions, etc. and the rural and urban model that guides our social base in the lower echelons and ultimately to produce a vast developmental democratic force comprised of youth and scholars. It is important to look into the Chinese and Singapore as well as other similar experiences that support this goal to achieve in general the Capacity building strategy especially the preparation of political leadership recruitment and institutions construction documents of our organization widely and qualitatively.
II. To ensure our developmental democratic government achieves its mission
a. In our government’s current developmental and democratic mission, the government, as a key executor and supporter, should work in every way we can to make it the tool for result and transformation. This means that enabling the government to develop transformational reforms and implement and achieve results on regular basis; creating working laws and regulations and leading them by strict discipline and decision making; responding to the people’s questions and problems in a quick, open, and fair manner; and to come out as a competent and committed government.
b. Create a strong government within constitutional order and constitution, from top to bottom, having its own legislature, judiciary, and executive which works in their constitutional mandate without one suppressing or protecting the other, rather that help build one another through balance and control and most importantly ensuring full transparency and accountability around the system and its structure – a broader and decentralized system with full accountability that enhances individual and team work and move them with their all capacities based on their shares build a strong government that mobilizes the defensive forces, builds and deploys on its own initiatives.
c. Immediate implementation of a new contract system of a relatively free and transparent forum that will build our developmental democratic government for good governance, fast transformational economic and social development, security and safety, etc. Using developmental democratic views where one competes and works only with his skills and abilities to achieve results continues, but the ones who haven’t been able to achieve results can be given necessary supports to achieve the result otherwise dropped out without any further delay. It is imperative to quickly create a short-term plan for a new defensive bureaucracy by creating a new political environment that produces diligent/qualified actors and criminalizes anyone that creates small or large obstacles.
d. The structure and institutions of our developmental democratic government can never be seen in isolation from the existing political economy. Even if one tries, this will be futile and will lead to a vicious circle and ultimate fall. Therefore, until the supremacy of developmental democratic political economy is proven in practice, within the given period, strengthening the capacity building of our developmental democratic government through political works, political struggle, and clear political view first and foremost, should be a matter of urgency. The focus of the struggle sees transforming policy and strategy to package by listing, understanding, realizing, and implementation of the existing works and plans as a primary matter of political leadership and struggle. Therefore, there should the discussion, training, and evaluation processes to identify and dismantle the obstacles that will hinder the progress of building capacity. The action led by this process as well as the structure and deployment system that addresses the mission is the core of this building project. At the same time, taking its share of political struggle, the Developmental Democratic Capacity Building bureaucracy without leaving aside competence, skills, knowledge, and technical issues – which combines knowledge, skills in general, should be centered on achieving results that focus on going capacity building activities in all respects with strong coordination.
ቀሪው ክፍል በሚቀትለው ተመልከት