BY ADDISALEM MULAT
Today’s exclusive column guest goes by the name of Girmay Hadera. He was one of the combatants of the Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU), and chairman of the Ethiopian Justice and Democracy Forces Front (EFDF) who had partaken in the armed struggle that came to pass around Ethiopia and Sudan borders for quite a lot of years.
In a similar manner, he has been getting himself fully involved in Ethiopian politics since 1975.
On a separate note, he had touched upon a considerable amount of issues revolving around the Ethiopian Democratic Union armed struggle. He had passed through many ups and downs on the journey towards his goals. Above and beyond, he knows the nuts and bolts of the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) Junta officials like the palm of his hand. Excerpts:
What were the main crimes the TPLF junta officials’ perpertuated against the Tigray People?
In the first instance, the TPLF junta officials were unceasingly turning the lives of the People of Tigry into a living hell every now and then. For nearly five decades, the Tigray people were suffering from a significant number of anguishes once in a great while as a consequence of their evil acts.
In the same fashion, the TPLF junta officials were time and time again misleading the people of Tigray under the auspices of transforming their lives at the earliest possible time. But as everyone knows, the whole thing is far off from the truth.
Heartbreakingly, one can come across some mothers of the state begging passersby in every nook and cranny of the capital. Sad as it may sound, they were now and then passing through elevations and depressions, as well as rises and falls. The TPLF junta officials promised that when they came to power, they would be provided with a tax holiday.
However, when push came to shove, they ended up breaking their word every once in a while. The TPLF junta officials believe in slaughtering and sowing division in the midst of the people of the various Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples of Ethiopia from time to time.
Most commonly whenever the TPLF junta officials would like to attack people, they gave a chance to express their ideas, feelings, and thoughts in any way they liked. Dejectedly, if they uttered something against the junta officials, they ended up getting rid of them in a short space of time. They did not shillyshally take any measure within a very short space of time.
What was the political movement in the Tigray state in the 1960s like?
It is widely acknowledged that the people of Ethiopia and the army managed to overthrow Emperor Haileselasie. They were persistently working like two peas in a pod with a view to materializing their dream.
At that particular time, people were posing a considerable degree of questions bringing into focus ‘Land to the tiller, respect for the rights of Ethiopian Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples of Ethiopia and other things of a similar kind.
Slowly but surely, the Derg regime ended up establishing a military government at the earliest possible time and embarked on materializing its dream. At that very moment, the most widely known slogan was, “Ethiopia first without shedding any blood.”
At that very moment, political parties in the Tigray region got underway establishing themselves.
Speaking of which, the political parties’ movement came into existence in the Tigray regional state in 1974. Prior to that, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party was running political activities on many occasions in the region. Afterward, a party named “Betgadilo Hagerina Hizibi Tigray Terebafit” came into being.
A lot of combatants were camouflaging themselves in Wello, Gojjam, Shewa, Wellega, and other parts of the country. After a year of movement, the party named the Ethiopian Democratic Republic set in motion discharging its duties and responsibilities.
For the sake of truth, four months later, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front hit the ground running. At that specific juncture, Gedile Ginber Tigray was established. As the TPLF junta officials were not that interested in the new party and got rid of all the members in a single night. As the people of Tigray strongly believe in Ethiopianism, the TPLF junta officials were pulling out all the stops with the purpose of distorting the reality on the ground.
At that point in time, most people residing in the length and breadth of the Tigray region were partaking in the armed struggle regardless of sexual category. While on the subject, the end of the 1960’s was the time that most people made an attempt to take part in political parties and joining the armed struggle.
What was the relation the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) had with the Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU)?
Honestly speaking, Ethiopian Democratic Union and TPLF have not ever made a legal agreement to work together. However, whenever the members came across on battlefields, they bend over backwards with the intention of helping one another now and then.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Derg regime was overthrown, the Ethiopian Democratic Union is still a strong advocate of unity. If truth be told, the party does not believe in division and place emphasis on living in harmony with others.
On several occasions, the TPLF junta officials were persistently urging us to shower them with our objectives. Often times, we showered them with the fact that we would like to see a democratically elected government.
Quite the opposite, TPLF was a collection of evildoers who did not believe in Ethiopian Unity and living in harmony with others. As the people of Tigray believe fully in the unity of Ethiopia, they were questioning the TPLF junta officials whom they were going to free them from.
Slowly but steadily though, TPLF made the people of Tigray not utter a single word about anything related to democracy and unity. Against this background, there were conflicts between the Tigray People Liberation Front and the Ethiopian Democratic Union. Strictly speaking, in former times, a considerable amount of conflicts were created in the midst of the Ethiopian Democratic Party Union and Tigray Liberation Front.
As the TPLF officials were the sources of conflict, EDU’s and TPLF’s relations ended up in conflicts and disagreement.
What do the people of Tigray think about TPLF’s detest of Ethiopia’s unity?
I would venture to say, EDU fully believes in establishing a democratic system. There is no hidden agenda. We believe in respect for personal freedom. Our intended target is returning the former glory of Ethiopia. Quite the opposite, as the TPLF junta officials did not believe in the unity of the country, they embarked on calling themselves, a liberator. But the people of Tigray were not interested to hear the word ‘Liberator.’
During the regime of Emperor Haile Selassie, there was a party called Kedamay Woyane. As the party was loved by the People of Tigray, the TPLF junta officals ended up using the name Hizebaye Weyeane Harinent.
As the people of Enderta had a wider political movement, they were time and again raising a significant amount of questions regarding the new name they came up with. As a war entitled Hinfishfish arose at that point in time, quite a lot of people closed their eyes never to open them again.
It is said that TPLF members had played a major role in weakening EDU. How much is it true? What do you make of it?
Back in the day, people residing in the Tigray state were under the umbrella of EDU. What is more, people residing in the length and breadth of the Tigray region were actively participating in the party over and over again. At that particular time, EDU had more than 30, 000 armed combatants.
In earlier times, Shire, Adwa, Axum, Tenben, and districts found around Enderta region were members of our party on the grounds that they knew the inside out of our objective. It is no exaggeration to say almost half part of the Tigray state was members of EDU.
Properly speaking, EDU is not weakened as a consequence of TPLF conspiracies; but on account of EDU members who were not transparent to the party and getting off track time and time again. But TPLF officials were persistently saying, “We have weakened the party.” Sad as it may sound, they have distorted the fact. As the fake stories have gone viral, most people do not seem to know the reality on the ground.
Speaking honestly, the party was fragmented in view of the fact that the EDU campaign leader named General Nega Tegne and the party’s chairman Le’ul Ras Mengesha Seyoum sent EDU combatants’ to the Sudan border on the pretext of holding a meeting.
In next to no time, the EDU combatants went to the border carrying their guns. Nobody knew what was going on behind closed doors. The secret was not revealed. Everybody was in confusion.
With that being said, the Sudanese soldiers were waiting for us. They were told that we were going to open fire on them in retaliation for Emperor Yohannes’s death.
At that very moment, thirty thousand EDU soldiers entered Sudan. The instant the members crossed the threshold Sudan they were made to disarm almost immediately.
As they were persistently supporting the EDU members, none of them were willing to fight with them. Despite the fact that the members refused to surrender they told them that they would get to the bottom of the problem through dialogue and give their weapons back.
Sadly, after a due length of time, the EDU members were thrown into a certain camp for seven solid years. On the basis thereof, the party began getting weaker and weaker. Reasoning from this fact, TPLF took control of our strongholds positioned in every nook and cranny of the Tigray region.
I strongly believe that the reason behind the weakening of EDU is the party leaders’ conspiracies, TPLF and Shabia. In point of fact, EDU members were not fully torn down. Some of the EDU members live overseas.
How do you see the attack carried out by the TPLF Junta officials on the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces?
When the TPLF junta officials came to power, they ended up dismantling the Ethiopian National Defense Forces in a little while. Furthermore, for the love of materializing their dreams, they left the whole thing for their combatants.
When I heard the news, I could not believe my ears. To be honest, their evil deeds have broken my heart. In spite of the fact that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces have their own family and children, they spend their time in deserts and caves for the love of defending their country.
Their evil act was nothing less than destroying Ethiopia. I would go so far as to say, it was an attempt to destroy Ethiopia. It was a shameful act. However, all their efforts went for nothing on account of the determination of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces.
Who is responsible for the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Tigray state?
The TPLF junta officials are responsible for the whole lot going on in the Tigray state. They were warmongers. They managed to approve their own polling law and polling commission.
Furthermore, they were showing their disdain for the Constitution of the Federal Democtratic Republic of Ethiopia and getting off track time and time again. I would say, the government has taken the right measure.
The TPLF itself is responsible for the devastation and humanitarian crisis caused by their evil acts seeing that the juntas first instigated an attack on the Northen Command of the Ethiopian National Defence Force, and declared that they would not abide by the rule of law holding an election without constitutional order.
Economically, they have set up the EFFORT organizations in the name of the people. However, they were actively engaged in looting, embezzling the state people amassing undesereved profit at the expense of the mass and fattening their pockets at the expense of their compatriots. What is more, the farming community has instead been forced to lead a life in abject poverty for the past 46 years.
During their forceful rule, the junta members made the mother of Tigray be the poorest of the poor and to live on handouts in the name of safetynet but the wealth, which is capable of developing the nation let alone a small state, was squandered by them.
The Ethiopian Herald January 30/2021
