For what it’s worth, if TPLF bigwigs decided to leave knowing not to return, that is not something to brag about or belittle the group. True, this group had caused immense suffering to their own people and all Ethiopians and the people of the region. Their gamble to return to power had deceived them and their followers. But regardless of their miscalculations and blunders we’ve to also put ourselves in their shoes and see that they were victims of a domino fallout of events that they had no control over.
Back in 2018, the people they “represent” had enough of them but missteps in the larger political scene also caused them to feel cornered. Imagine a regional state (Amhara, Afar) blocking transportation and a federal government doing nothing to control highways which are federal strips. Add to that territorial claims. Imagine all the other breakdown of trust and the feeling is being cornered that it generated.
I’m saying TPLF stood on wrong premises of returning to power because they controlled the military that was in Tigray but on a public level they’ve used these types of missteps to rally their people to gain legitimacy they lost in 2018. So at times you lose which is the start, the middle or the end. This brought all the suffering of Tigrians while that suffering was also meted on the Amharas and the Afaris and all Ethiopians.
Thus, if they’re staying back, it’s not defeat, it’s heroism too in a way since they’ve realized that more is less, more fighting is more loss, suffering… So when you assess and take the hard bitter decision, it’s not like we do the bishishiq on ER. It is a big decision.
I’m not discounting the situation that led them to come to this in finding it hard to win convincingly in the battlefield and the unsustainable condition of life. Also the ultimatums and arm twisting that comes with US/EU….is out of this world when they come down with their full weight.
To lubricate the situation, US and friends were fanning Eritrean interference and Abiy was not denying that so that the military loss wouldn’t leave a sour taste to those who think they’re invincible, if there is such a thing in this world.
But if the situation continues with the conflict scorching Tigray and Ethiopia, then it is back to square one. The fighting continues and peace would be unattainable unless there is breakthrough.
That said if the situation is such that the bigwigs got a leeway and did that because the remaining options are worse for all, then the flight(s) is loaded and many more are leaving. Also looking at the fact that cities are falling like bourse of cards and Mekelle being next in line, it is unlikely they left hoping to return.
In that case, the decision is something not short of heroism - knowing when to stop is a wisdom in and of itself. If that is the case I salute them.