BY YOHANES JEMANEH
They say birds of a feather flock together. And governments across the world cooperate on peace and security and other issues with due respect of their sovereign interests. The same is true for global anti-peace elements.
Terrorist groups do cooperate with each other to make instability happen on the spot they wish to target. It goes without saying that the terrorist TPLF clique has been making alliances with local and foreign anti-peace elements like Shene and Al-Shabaab in order to destabilize the country.
For quite a while, the criminal organization has been forming an alliance with internal and external adversaries to carry out its evil acts and dismantle the country. The recent leaked document prepared by the terrorist TPLF clique is incontrovertible evidence of the group’s treacherous alliance to destroy the Ethiopian state.
The leaked document of the terror enterprise has laid bare the group’s and its cronies’ destructive “path and strategy” in their doomed alliance to destroy the proposed peace talks. The document entitled ‘A path and strategy towards the concluding chapter [of war]’ exposed the criminal organization’s plan to boost ties with the terrorist groups.
TPLF’s leaked document indicated that the group has a plan to widen its cooperation with Al-Shabaab and Shene in order to weaken the federal government and prompt anarchism. The document explains the terrorist group’s plan to sow discord among the Ethiopian people and demoralize the Afar and Amhara communities picturing Tigray as a rosy state while the reverse is true in the region.
The document also reveals TPLF’s strategy to work with local and international terrorist groups through instigating violence. It states that the group would use insurgents and sleeper cells to wreak havoc and get the upper hand in the battle. Working with paid activists and stooges to carry out a misinformation campaign, destabilizing the Ethiopian state and weakening the economy, and aggravating public grievances are other goals that the terrorist group charted to accomplish in cooperation with Shene and Al-Shabaab, the document indicated.
The recent attacks made by Al-Shabaab in Ethiopia are a clear indication of terrorist TPLF’s desire of controlling the central power by using any means necessary. For Professor Deresse Getachew, a Sociology Associate at New York, Iona College, TPLF cooperates with anyone to destabilize the country.
As TPLF has been allying with different forces, it is now associating with the Al- Shabaab to destabilize the nation and weaken the central government, Deresse recently told local media. He believed that TPLF wishes to weaken and replace the federal government by working together with terrorist Shene group on one side and Al-Shabaab on the other.
Buying Deresse’s concept, Writer and Journalist Abebe Gelaw forwards that all the entities that are trying to create chaos in the country are particularly trying to disband the central government. “As we know, some countries are Ethiopia’s historical enemies and are still behind the major negative happenings that have been occurring in Ethiopia. And the terrorist Shene and TPLF groups are closely working to realize their major objective,” Abebe said.
TPLF could ally with any entity being it local or international so long as it takes to its destination and gain its political desire. That is why it is still provoking another war refuting the peace initiative proposed by the federal government, he added.
One embarrassing truth in this process is that some western governments are supporting TPLF as a puppet government in Ethiopia. Though they are putting undue pressure on Ethiopia to restore the previous system of administration being practiced by the criminal clique though the current administration is not willing to accept that, Abebe noted.
On the flip side, TPLF, Al-Shabaab and Shene are working these days hand in hand to destabilize Ethiopia as well as the region. These three entities have now forged a seemingly temporary tactical alliance against a common adversary, the federal government of Ethiopia. The pre-established bilateral alliance between Shene and Al-Shabaab has now expanded into a trilateral alliance, with Shene brokering between TPLF and Al-Shabaab.
For these groups, the federal government, as well as a strong central government in Ethiopia, is an undesirable outcome. To this end, their collective aim is to synergistically work to undermine the national cohesion and territorial integrity of the Ethiopian state.
An article published in Horn Review indicated that there is a clear and mutual interest between TPLF and Al-Shabaab, particularly in experience sharing. Al-Shabaab had an interest to gain insurgency experience from TPLF. Conversely, TPLF sought knowledge in launching terrorist attacks and other insurgency tactics from Al-Shabaab.
Shene has played a paramount role in middling and brokering the two groups. Having fled the central government and retreated to Tigray, TPLF operatives in Sudan initiated contact with Abdullahi Nadir in early October 2020 in Sudan, soon after the group was pushed deeper into central Tigray.
Nadir was a close associate and aide of the former notorious Al-Shabaab Amir Ahmed Godene. Abdulahi Nadir later facilitated a meeting between TPLF’s operatives and Al-Shabaab members who were in South Sudan under a business pretext.
Nadir also managed to contact mid-level Al-Shabaab operatives in Kenya to convene a meeting on how to defeat a common enemy. In early August 2021, a meeting commenced in Nairobi (East Leigh area) between three TPLF operatives as well as Al-Shabaab mid-level leaders, namely Shiekh Abdi salam Kabaja’el15 and Salad Dere16, the article claimed.
Both parties have agreed to collaborate on technical matters such as sharing guerilla skills, weapons, and facilitation of one another’s operation rather than establishing a strategic partnership. Since the two parties adhere to diverging ideological backing. After the Nairobi meeting, consecutive contacts were made between the two sides in Puntland where TPLF elements proposed to provide 15 mortar weapons to target Ethiopian Units of AMISOM troops stationed around Hudur, Baidoa, and Qansahdere areas of South West State. Intelligence sources proved that Al-Shabaab has used those 60 mm and 82 mm mortar shells on ENDF units in Somalia.
Despite the unholy marriage and the ill-will cooperation between TPLF and Al-Shabaab, Ethiopia has managed the recent insurgency through Somali region and captured 105 Kalashnikovs, 13 Bren, RPGs, and other heavy weapons have been seized from Al-Shabaab terrorists in Ethio-Somalia border.
As to the information obtained from Government Communication Service (GCS) indicated that about 45 Al-Shabaab members were also arrested lately. GCS Minister Legese Tulu (Ph.D) stated that the Ethiopian army along with regional forces has made a speedy response and inflicted significant harm on terrorist factions that have been largely operating in Oromia and Somali states.
“While thousands of Shene members have been made out of combat, several of its camps have been destroyed so far, the military operation will be reinforced until lasting peace is guaranteed,” the minister said. Legese stressed the military operation has been carried out to neutralize terrorist groups and ensure the safety of the people. These groups must choose the peaceful or the military means to become the government other than confusing the people.
Therefore, the government has to undertake its constitutional responsibility of ensuring law and order and protecting the safety and security of its citizens. To this end, it needs to annihilate the Al-Shabaab and punish TPLF and Shene to refrain from their destructive behavior and action. The government needs also to keep open for peaceful means to the conflicts and to ensure stability.
The Ethiopian Herald September 7/2022
