TPLF and ELF Never Went Along Well

Excrepts from: A Political Good status for your Tigray People’s Liberation Front (1975-1991):
Revolt, Ideology and Mobilisation in Ethiopia Ph.D Thesis
Aregawi Berhe

The development within the TPLF, which have established warm mention of EPLF within the short
time period, wasn’t good news for the ELF. Its rival front, the EPLF, that was
within the northern terrains of Eritrea, had now found a pal within the south which
would share the chance of wider mobility the ELF had monopolized thus far.
Immediately, the ELF proven its aversion for that TPLF by turning lower its
efforts to discover good relations. In April 1975, just two a few days after it had been established,
the TPLF dispatched a delegation for that ELF Seraye administrative unit (also called
No. 9) making known its intentions to construct working relations while using the ELF. This
initiative was communicated for that finest physiques in Barka, their base area. Soon after, the
ELF held its second National Congress, which delegates within the TLF and representatives of
Ras Mengesha Seyoum (later the best choice within the EDU) attended. The TPLF wasn’t requested,
despite its efforts to keep contact. Not frustrated using the rejection, the TPLF made
extra efforts to call the TLF and thru that endeavour attempted to enhance relations
while using the ELF. It had been also thought what had begun virtually nearly as good relations while using the TLF would
help lead to fixing the region the ELF had produced and forge better relations while using the
latter.
In November 1975, relations while using the TLF itself without warning ended. After news of
the atrocities committed using the TLF against a distinctive people started to spread like wildfire,

rank and file individuals in the TPLF, incorporated in this particular Meles Zenawi, Yemane Jamaica
and Sibhat Nega, began agitating functional to obtain taken. The TPLF leadership then known as
an emergency meeting to speak about the problem since the problem was getting away
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hands, it had been playing no option but to accomplish this within the TLF. The TPLF forcefully
subdued the TLF and hang up the surviving leaders under arrest (see Chapter 4 for the details).
It had been an unpredicted turn of occasions for people parties, the TLF, the ELF along with the TPLF itself.
A couple of days later, the TPLF, positive about the righteousness from the measures within the
TLF, informed the ELF and requested individuals to look at the episode on their own. The ELF
sent a couple of its senior officials, a principal committee member along with a division commander, to
Tigrai to speak about the problem while using the TPLF’s leadership. In addition they’d the opportunity to speak
regarding the matter individually while using the TLF leaders under arrest. The delegation had nothing
negative to state around the drastic measures taken using the TPLF. The TPLF crucial that
the conclusion results of situation study be reported in written form to everyone ELF individuals to make certain that
relations whatsoever levels may be comradely. But top ELF leaders, who feared the exposure
in the participation within the TLF misdeeds, never released such statement. It should be
appreciated that prominent individuals in the TLF, like Tekeste Wubneh, Yohannes

Andebirhan, Berhe Tewldebirhan and Teklai Gebrezgi, were performed while using the consent of
Salih Shume and Mohamed Kiduwi, both leaders within the ELF inside the administration unit
no.10. The ELF delegation should have been embarrassed relating to this and related details which
the TLF leaders revealed.
For the moment, the discussions came out to possess removed future relations between
the TPLF along with the ELF. Really, the ELF dropped the publication in the TLF along with the question of
the prisoners, altogether and started to focus on future cooperation. As being a goodwill gesture,
in addition, it granted its consent for the TPLF to assist the arms it attracted within the TLF. These
firearms initially belonged for that ELF, which have every to say them. Such ELF
moves were regarded as symptoms of bridging the region while using the TPLF, nevertheless it wasn’t apparent
the way a relationship would develop, for the ELF’s top policy engineers were based far
away within the Barka lowlands and wouldn’t be vulnerable to change their attitudes towards
the TPLF as extended because the latter’s contiguity while using the EPLF wasn’t severed.
Must be fact, the initial warm relations relating to the TPLF along with the EPLF had
been one good reason for the bad relations relating to the TPLF along with the ELF. Inside the
start, the EPLF had portrayed itself as being a revolutionary front that will embrace and
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utilize the Ethiopian revolutionary left, plus it was accommodating the EPRP along with the
TPLF. The first TPLF recruits were trained and equipped with the EPLF, a preliminary indication
in the serious alliance. Two extended-time EPLF fighters – Mussie and Yemane Kidane (a.k.a.
Jamaica) – who had been both Tigraians by birth, were chosen for the TPLF permanently.
Mussie particularly was instrumental to help keep the text while using the EPLF
when the experienced problems. The organization name TPLF appeared as if individuals in the
EPLF as did the TLF individuals of ELF. Within the ELF camp, the rhetoric surrounding class
struggle, socialism and dictatorship within the proletariat entertained by both EPLF and
the TPLF produced the suspicion in the rising unified revolutionary pressure. It absolutely was
happening anytime once the ELF was claiming it had been subsequently the only real legitimate
connected wonderful regions of Eritrean society. On the top of the, the ELF’s considered
the EPLF just as one organization of Tigrigna-speaking highlanders from Eritrea who had been
ethnically such as the Tigraians in Ethiopia decisively produced its attitudes towards
the TPLF just as one ally from the rival, the EPLF. Besides, the permanent info on ELF cadres
within the borders with Tigrai additionally for their confrontational dealings with Tigraians living
there’s another area where relations were difficult. TPLF-ELF relations were,
therefore, strained immediately by lots of factors and continuing to get fragile all along,
sometimes turning violent.
For the top ELF officials, who had been always seeking surrogate organizations in
Ethiopia, the liquidation within the TLF alone was understandably annoying. From then
onwards, the ELF generally supported any organization in Tigrai which was inside a couple of kind
of armed conflict with, and may potentially weaken, the TPLF. In 1976 and 1977, the
ELF provided the Tigraian Movement Coordinating Committee (Teranafit) that is
umbrella organization the Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU) with military information
across the TPLF. Because the operational areas of both TPLF and ELF oftentimes
overlapped, it had been achievable for your ELF to give sensitive military information for that
Teranafit along with the EDU across the mobility and strength within the TPLF. This had happened on
several occasions, because the TPLF’s radio interception unit might be, in addition to is a
‘stab within the back’ within the TPLF.
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Later, in 1978, the TPLF destroyed the Teranafit by waging a counter-offensive
additionally to evicted the EDU from Tigrai. It grabbed armaments and ammunition from both
adversaries that bolstered its morale and strength. The TPLF elevated to get formidable pressure
in western Tigrai and started full mobilization of people without encountering any
resistance within the former rivals, the Teranafit along with the EDU. Once more, the ELF didn’t
have choice but to assist the TPLF, and relations relating to the organizations
arrived on the scene to improve.

Using the finish of 1976, the TPLF had could establish formal
relations while using the ELF nevertheless they merely lasted for some time. The ELF gave the
TPLF number of arms and ammunition, the TPLF needed but wasn’t searching toward. It
also lifted limitations across the TPLF outlet to Sudan through western Eritrea. The ELF also
aided the TPLF across the diplomatic front, presenting it to Arab regimes for example Saudi
Arabia, Syria and Egypt, which offered along with your TPLF. However, friendly
relations didn’t last extended. Regardless of the supply the ELF was offering, inside the
TPLF up to now since the EPLF (the former’s rival) was concerned didn’t falter which must
have annoyed the ELF. ‘The ELF also endeavoured to obtain the TPLF to simply accept its political
positions over individuals from the rival, the EPLF, something the TPLF was unwilling to do’,
(Youthful 1997: 113). The administration of Eritrean peasants who moved inside the Tigrai
region was a different way to obtain continuous disagreement the ELF needed as
provocation. Once the TPLF started to complete its land-reform policy which preferred
poor peasants, Eritrean landlords living near the borders were seriously affected. The
ELF was up regarding these landlords and labored covertly and overtly not only to
frustrate the land-reform policy nevertheless the TPLF’s entire politico-military venture. It
defended and offered sanctuary to feudal Eritrean or Tigraian elements for the
land reform and committed functions of reprisal against individuals in the TPLF or even
ordinary TPLF sympathizers. The ELF protected such opponents within the TPLF by
claiming that they are people from the organization. Frequently, its units obstructed the
mobility of TPLF people or vehicles prone to or possibly within the Sudan through their
territory.

In the middle of each one of these tense conditions, war started relating to the TPLF
along with the EPRP in April 1978. Once more the ELF was quick to obtain the possibility and
apply it within the interests within the TPLF. The EPRP army, that was operating in Tigrai,
was defeated and driven in the base area in Alitena and Assimba using the TPLF within the
not much time and fled for that ELF-held territory of Shumezana in Eritrea. It had been
unpredicted for the ELF some thing as being a host for the EPRP since they didn’t have formal
relations and for now, the second was considered like a buddy within the EPLF, the ELF’s arch
rival. But unexpectedly, the ELF gave the EPRP sanctuary inside the base area near Augaro
in western Eritrea close to the TPLF part of operations. The cooperation relating to the
ELF along with the EPRP place the TPLF within serious threat of war. The TPLF authored several
of letters of reconciliation for that ELF plus May 1978 leaders of both ELF along with the
TPLF met in Barka. They made a decision to activate instead of interfere in every single other’s
administrative territory. They typed out their variations, particularly across the nature of
the Dergue along with the Ussr – the ELF considered the Dergue along with the Ussr
as ‘truly socialist’ and ‘progressive’ forces, since the TPLF held that both were antidemocratic
and anti-revolutionary. Yet they agreed that such variations shouldn’t
hamper the progress in the cooperation as extended since they were combating all
them. Subsequently, they visited date as assembling their forces to challenge the
Dergue’s finest military campaign across the Shire front in May 1978.
At this time, the ELF rearmed the EPRP and started supporting the latter’s plan of
creating itself in Wolkait in western Tigrai. To get this done, the ELF needed to escort
the EPRP through TPLF-held territory in western Tigrai where it had produced popular
support. Inside the finish of 1979, three ELF battalions under Tesfay Tekle, part of the
ELF revolutionary council, increased to end up part of the EPRP forces to mix to Wolkait nevertheless these were
attacked by TPLF forces at Moguee and compelled revisit Eritrea. Reinforced by another
fresh brigade, the joint forces of ELF-EPRP advanced to Sheraro, the most used lower
TPLF. But on 6 April 1980, these were intercepted by TPLF forces within the hilly terrain of
Gemmahlo and endured huge defeat. The troops of both defeated fronts were in
disarray, each blaming another which had befallen them, although it was the
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endurance combined with TPLF’s better fighting tactics that introduced regarding defeat.
Next, the ELF refrained from attacking the TPLF within the western a part of Tigrai while
the EPRP created a extended march of retreat to achieve remote areas of the Wolkait region. The
EPRP battled reviving its forces plus it became associated with a survival strategy. The
implication in the war could it have been frustrated attempts using the EPRP to produce an
operational focus western Tigrai and Wolkait and to open a corridor within the bases in
Gonder to ELF territory in western Eritrea and finally to Sudan. Once more, the
TPLF proven to obtain invincible within the eyes from the adversaries.
By November 1980, furious ELF units operating across central Tigrai launched
another surprise attack across the TPLF base area in Belesa-Maihamato. They chased away
the happy couple of pads they experienced and looted the little base area before coming back for his or her
own territory. It had been a unprovoked attack, along with the TPLF was a student in no position to and
was without reason for declaring combat the ELF. At this time, the last grew to become
the only real formidable armed resistance pressure for that Dergue in Tigrai. The destroying and
eviction within the TLF, the Teranafit, the EDU and lastly the EPRP was, however, a
message the ELF needed to think about seriously. The very fact it had been now left without
proxy organizations in Tigrai indicated its isolation. Confrontation relating to the TPLF and
the ELF from then onwards elevated to obtain direct and should be resolved one of the ways or other.
The TPLF and ELF operational areas were adjacent. The ELF operated in a number of
parts of Tigrai for military and economic reasons. The border claim and counter-claim
along with the exclusive for use inside the border territories ongoing to get constant
overuse injury in relations relating to the organizations. The policies on land, trade, the mobility
of individuals along with the effective extraction of fabric contributions and recruits from Eritreans
moving into Tigrai ongoing to guide to strain relating to the TPLF along with the ELF. The ELF’s
border security officials declined to speak about seriously the issues with TPLF cadres and
seek strategies to the issues. The ELF chosen over impose their way as well as the best
solution resorted to killing TPLF cadres and searching to overrun their base areas. Conflicts
elevated to obtain frequent, nerve-racking, and sometimes bloody. The ELF produced an issue that
was intolerable for the TPLF and even more so for anyone of Tigrai within the borders,

and, each day, they advised the TPLF to get rid of additionally, it they are driving away any
ELF unit. The TPLF had thus plenty of top reasons to get rid of the ELF.
Initially of 1981, the EPLF, which since its formation are actually within the
similar – or higher hostile situation – while using the ELF, sent a delegation created by Sibhat
Ephraim, a politburo member, for that TPLF to solve the lingering issue with
the ELF. At this time both came out to possess had an sufficient volume of ELF provocations and they also
made a decision on organizing equal figures of forces to provide a decisive blow for that ELF. In
mid-1981, combined TPLF-EPLF forces started their offensive inside the Afar lowlands,
the eastern base part of the ELF and quickly advanced across the central and western bases.
Without joint action, the second world war while using the ELF might have ongoing to become hopeless task for
the EPLF alone. Weakened by internal squabbles and extended round the wide area in small
units, the ELF was a student in no position to pose any significant resistance. Within two
days, the whole ELF pressure is built to depart Tigrai and Eritrea and flee to Sudan
transporting out a impact within the joint TPLF-EPLF attack. Nharnet Team, an ELF sympathizer,
described the problem the following:
The aggression across the ELA [ELF army] began along with the TPLF of Ethiopia increased to end up part of
within the fratricidal war declared using the EPLF that lasted till 10 August 1981. The
ELA is built to withdraw for that border areas within the Sudan where it faced
many problems. Because fateful length of 1980-81, the ELA lost 1458
fighters martyred mainly within the destructive war triggered using the EPLF/TPLF
alliance (Nharnet, 2005: Part VIII).
TPLF-ELF relations are actually rocky immediately and ongoing to obtain so regardless of the
conciliatory gestures produced with the TPLF. Finally it had introduced with this particular bloody confrontation in
the ELF was defeated and stopped to exist as being a viable organization. The defeat of
the ELF opened up in the chance for the EPLF to deal with rural Eritrea with no rival.
The TPLF too had absolutely nothing to fear from behind for a while to look at. It absolutely was in addition a

relief for the Tigraians living within the borders. Later on splinter groups created, made
from spread ELF people, and they also vowed to help keep the struggle for independence.
These were within the rival EPLF additionally to individuals who looked to espouse Marxian
ideology needed not much time to discover rapport while using the TPLF. Later, the TPLF started to
supply the Eritrean Democratic Movement (EDM) along with the Eritrean Liberation Front
Central-Command (ELF-CC), also called Sagem, as being a countervailing pressure for that
EPLF. A totally new alignment that will complicate relations while using the EPLF was a student in the
making.