The Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray ( MLLT ) was a semi-clandestine Hoxhaist Communist Party that held a leading role in the Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front (TPLF) in the 1980s. The majority of the TPLF leadership held dual membership in the MLLT, including Meles Zenawi , Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1995 until his death in 2012.
124-446: The Tigray People's Liberation Front started as a student group during the rise of revolutions in the world in the 1960s. At the beginning of the inception of the TPLF, the main focus was an ethno-nationalist ideology. Later Marxist-Lennist views came to be an important part of the party ideology. This coincided with the spreading of Marxism-Leninism throughout the world and more specifically
248-655: A "preemptive strike". In November 2020, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared victory over the TPLF. Other sources suggested that the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) controlled only about 70% of the Tigray region. Many TPLF members joined the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF). The TPLF has accused the ENDF and Eritrean forces of war crimes, but it is difficult to independently verify these allegations because of
372-687: A TPLF-loyal splinter group from the EPRP, used caves in Melfa (Dogu'a Tembien) . The TPLF managed to use the catastrophic famine of 1983-85 to its advantage. In early 1985, it organized a march of over 200,000 famine victims from Tigray to Sudan to draw international attention to the plight in Tigray. Its humanitarian arm, the Relief Society of Tigray (REST), founded in 1978, received large amounts of international humanitarian aid for famine victims and small-scale development projects in liberated Tigray. In 1984–1985,
496-740: A clear sign that Harare would be prepared to extradite Mengistu in a reversal of Jokonya's policy. Given the turmoil in Ethiopia with the Tigray conflict, there have been no further apparent developments. Upon entering Addis Ababa, the EPRDF immediately disbanded the WPE and arrested almost all of the prominent Derg officials shortly after. In December 2006, seventy-three officials of the Derg were found guilty of genocide. Thirty-four people were in court, fourteen others had died during
620-631: A complete Marxist-Lennist ideology intertwined with the ethno-nationalist foundation of the Tigray People's Liberation Front. the MLLT was established in 1983 as "pre-party organization" called the Organization of the Vanguard Elements. This grouping would become the MLLT in 1985 to serve as a " vanguard party for the TPLF". According to Aregawi Berhe, the MLLT held its founding congress on 25 July 1985 in
744-423: A developed country "if it is guided by 'revolutionary democracy'", adding that while "liberal democracy is partial wager, a collector of rents, and a representative of the comprador bourgeoisie, 'revolutionary democracy' stands for sustainable development." This marked the point at which TLPF abandoned Marxism-Leninism in favour of socialism and revolutionary ethnonationalism, moving closer to its initial position from
868-464: A drastic fall in general productivity of food and cash crops. Eritreans came under increased oppression and economic disruption at the hands of the regime. During 1976, civilian opposition to the regime was ruthlessly cracked down on following an attempt on Mengistu's life. In some cases entire families were executed based on the accusation of being 'reactionary'. These grouped ranged from the conservative and pro-monarchy Ethiopian Democratic Union to
992-512: A few successful raids bolstered its military credibility, the TPLF grew to only about 120 fighters in early 1976, but a rapidly growing clandestine network of supporters in the cities and a support base among the peasants provided vital supplies and information. On February 18, 1976, a conference of fighters elected a new leadership: Berhu (chairman), Muse (military committee), Abbay (political committee), Agazi (socioeconomic committee), Seyoum (foreign relations), Gidey, and Sebhat. Meles became head of
1116-693: A more flexible line viewing the Soviet support for the Derg as a tactical mistake on their part and avoided any public denunciations of the Soviet Union. The opposition to the Soviet Union continues the trend of the MLLT aligning with the Albanian Party of Labour and leader Enver Hoxha . Regarding Eritrea, The TPLF and MLLT were allied at the beginning of their inception with the Eritrean People's Liberation Front. Working together due to similar political goals, in
1240-455: A new political program calling for self-determination within a democratic Ethiopia, with independence an option only if unity proved impossible. Gaining and maintaining the support of the local population was at the core of the TPLF's strategy in the 1970s and 1980s. TPLF leaders knew that the goodwill of the population would sustain their movement and ultimately lead them to victory over the Derg. Consequently, any fighter caught mistreating locals
1364-484: A perpetrator in the Global Terrorism Database, based on ten incidents occurring between 1976 and 1990 (see GTD link). In 2021, the Ethiopia federal government passed a parliamentary resolution classifying the TPLF as a terrorist organization. According to Article 23, "this decision applies to organizations and individuals that collaborate with, have links with, or are associated with the ideas and actions of
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#17328520794851488-517: A policy of state atheism , a tenet of Marxist-Leninist ideology; this was opposed by the vast majority of the Ethiopian population. On 4 March 1975, the Derg announced a program of land reform , according to its main slogan of "Land to the Tiller", which was unequivocally radical, even in Soviet and Chinese terms. It nationalized all rural land, abolished tenancy and put peasants in charge of enforcing
1612-674: A political coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). It fought a 15-year-long war against the Derg regime, which was overthrown on 28 May 1991. The TPLF, with the support of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), overthrew the government of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (PDRE) on May 28, 1991, and installed a new government that remained in power for decades. The new ruling EPRDF government,
1736-500: A program of change based on multi-party politics , constitutional democracy, ethno-linguistic federalization , and a mixed economy . The TPLF restructured the Ethiopian state and introduced ethnic federalism , which has contributed significantly to civil conflicts in Ethiopia over the following decades. Under the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the nation was governed by TPLF leader Meles Zenawi who became
1860-512: A revolutionary, democratic Ethiopia. While the multinational leftist movements prioritized class struggle over national self-determination for the Ethiopian nationalities, the Marxists of the TUSA argued for self-determination as the starting point for the final socialist revolution because of the existing inequalities among the Ethiopian nationalities. In February 1974, the Marxists within TUSA welcomed
1984-411: A stage where all the oppressed nations of Ethiopia can no more undertake a common class struggle." The TPLF castigated the formation of the centralized empire state during the conquests of Menelik II as, "the beginning of national oppression" in the groups manifesto. Initially the group called for independence of Tigray from Ethiopia, arguing that it is the only way to liberate Ethiopian cultures from
2108-410: A united front against the Derg due to widespread state violence being committed. This popular front was the catalyst to the fall of The MLLT because Marxism-Leninism was no longer the central goal of the TPLF, but instead became the overthrow of the Derg. In 1990 the shift from Marxism-Leninism began when Meles Zenawi announced the changing party platform to Revolutionary Democracy in a speech given in
2232-463: Is a collection of nationalities subjugated by the Amhara ethnic group, which imposes its culture and language over all others; the first manifesto of the party stated: "Disagreement and suspicion among the nations of Ethiopia have resulted from the worsening of the oppression by the Amhara ethnic group over the oppressed nations of Ethiopia and especially over the Tigray ethnic group. Therefore, we now reached
2356-407: Is being backed by the Ethiopian federal government. There is a growing risk the internal split will escalate into the outbreak of violence as it becomes more intractable. In the period following, Debretsion's faction removed Getachew and several other officials from their roles in the administration, claiming they "no longer have the authority to lead, make decisions, or issue directives." In response,
2480-530: Is the Ethiopian Unity Patriots Front which waged an insurgency in the Gambela Region from 1993 to 2012. At the conclusion of a trial lasting from 1994 to 2006, Mengistu was convicted of genocide , war crimes and crimes against humanity and sentenced in absentia to death by an Ethiopian court for his role in Ethiopia's Red Terror . The Ethiopian legal definition is distinct from
2604-880: The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) for support, but the ELF already had relations with the TLF. In November 1974, the EPLF agreed to train TNO members and allowed EPLF fighters from the Tigrayan community in Eritrea , including Mehari Tekle (Mussie), to join the TPLF. The first group of trainees was sent to the EPLF in January 1975. On the night of 18 February 1975, eleven men, including Gesese Ayyele (Sehul), Gidey, Asfeha, Seyoum, Agazi, and Berhu, left Enda Selassie for Sehul's home area of Dedebit , where they founded
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#17328520794852728-473: The Eritrean People's Liberation Front had gained control of all of Eritrea except for Asmara and Assab in the south. The Soviet Union, mired in its internal turmoil, could no longer prop up the Derg. In the words of the former US diplomat Paul B. Henze, "As his doom became imminent, Mengistu alternated between vowing resistance to the end and hinting that he might follow Emperor Tewodros II 's example and commit suicide." His actions were frantic: he convened
2852-513: The Eritrean War of Independence . Mengistu formally abolished the Derg in 1987 and formed a Marxist-Leninist one party state, the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia led by the Workers' Party of Ethiopia , with a new government containing civilians but still dominated by members of the Derg. In May 1991, the Derg regime fell to the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front , ending
2976-708: The Ethiopian Revolution but opposed the Derg (a military junta that ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991), as they were convinced that it would neither lead a genuine socialist revolution nor correctly resolve the Ethiopian nationality question . Two days after the Derg took power, on 14 September 1974, seven leaders of this trend established the Association of Progressives of the Tigray Nation ( Tigrinya : ማሕበር ገስገስቲ ብሔረ ትግራይ , Maḥbär Gäsgästi Bəḥer Təgray ), also known as
3100-405: The Ethiopian parliament —to which the TPLF was a party—voted to postpone the 2021 Ethiopian General Election , which was originally scheduled to occur in 2020. The TPLF defied the parliamentary vote and held regional elections anyway. The 2020 Tigray regional election was held on 9 September 2020. 2.7 million people participated in the election, though was it was boycotted by Arena Tigray and
3224-641: The Imperial Ethiopian Army and members of the police . The officers decided everything collectively at first, and selected Mengistu Haile Mariam to chair the proceedings. On 12 September 1974, the Derg overthrew the government of the Ethiopian Empire and Emperor Haile Selassie during nationwide mass protests, and three days later formally renamed itself the Provisional Military Administrative Council. In March 1975
3348-699: The National Election Board of Ethiopia terminated the party's legal status. In 2021, the Ethiopian House of Peoples' Representatives formally approved a parliamentary resolution designating the TPLF as a terrorist organization . On 2 November 2022, the African Union brokered a deal in Pretoria , South Africa, between the federal government and the TPLF to end the Tigray War. As per the peace agreement,
3472-643: The Provisional Military Administrative Council ( PMAC ), was the military dictatorship that ruled Ethiopia , then including present-day Eritrea , from 1974 to 1987, when the military junta formally " civilianized " the administration but stayed in power until 1991. The Derg was established on 21 June 1974 as the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police and Territorial Army , by junior and mid level officers of
3596-460: The Shengo , for an emergency session and reorganized his cabinet, but as Henze concludes, "these shifts came too late to be effective." On 21 May, claiming that he was going to inspect troops at a base in southern Ethiopia, Mengistu slipped out of the country into Kenya . From there, he flew along with his immediate family to Zimbabwe , where he was granted asylum and where he still resides. Mengistu
3720-662: The Tigray Democratic Party . PM Abiy stated that the federal government would not recognize the results of the Tigray election and banned foreign journalists from traveling to the region document it. In November 2020, a civil conflict erupted between the TPLF and the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) when the TPLF attacked the ENDF Northern Command headquarters in the north of the country in what TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda described as
3844-936: The Western world , creating, for the first time, an Ethiopian diaspora . The 1984–1985 Tigray famine brought the political situation in Ethiopia to the attention of the world and inspired charitable drives in Western nations , notably by Oxfam and the Live Aid concerts of July 1985. The money they raised was distributed among NGOs working in Ethiopia. A controversy arose when it was found that some of these NGOs were under Derg control or influence and that some Oxfam and Live Aid money had been used to fund Derg's enforced resettlement programmes , under which they displaced millions of people and killed between 50,000 and 100,000. A BBC investigation reported that Tigray People's Liberation Front rebels had used millions of dollars of aid money to buy arms; these accusations were later fully retracted by
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3968-807: The government and enforcing law since the establishment. By 1976, the Soviet and Derg relations strengthened with the Soviet aided the Derg military with arms. Together with the Cuban soldiers, the military gained support against Somali Democratic Republic during the Ogaden War . According to the United States State Department report in May 1977, 50 Cuban advisors trained Ethiopian troops to combat, while another report in July stated that 3,000 Cubans were in Ethiopia with one Eritrean Liberation Front officer there. Under
4092-474: The interim regional government . He claimed that this faction within the TPLF has escalated from merely obstructing his government to actively plotting to overthrow it. Elections from 1995 to 2015 were conducted under the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front banner. The party has its roots in the 1960s student movement which was ideologically nationalist before shifting towards Marxism–Leninism in late 1960s. After revolutionary students formed
4216-559: The 1970s. The United States government removed the TPLF's classification as a Tier III level terrorist group when the group came to power in 1991. However, an analysis by the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC) also classified it as a terrorist group dating back to 1976. According to the TRAC: The Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) is a political party in Tigray, Ethiopia that has been listed as
4340-514: The Albanian communist model of Enver Hoxha , stressing self-reliant economy and every nation having its unique way towards socialism. After the fall of the USSR, the TPLF moderated itself and rebranded its ideology as "revolutionary democracy", pledging to introduce a new kind of democracy in Ethiopia that would differ from the liberal democratic structure, while also maintaining the core socialist values of
4464-517: The Debretsion and Getachew has raised concerns of the creation of a volatile political environment that could reignite the civil war. The TPLF also suffers a crisis of legitimacy among the Tigrayan population following the war. In July 2024, the TPLF released a statement announcing it faced an unprecedented 'severe test' that has brought the party to the verge of disintegration. The statement accused senior leaders of putting their personal interests above
4588-643: The Derg abolished the monarchy and established Ethiopia as a socialist state under a military-led provisional government . The abolition of feudalism , increased literacy , nationalization , and sweeping land reform including the resettlement and villagization from the Ethiopian Highlands became priorities. Mengistu became chairman in 1977, launching the Red Terror ( Qey Shibir ) political repression campaign to eliminate political opponents, with tens of thousands imprisoned and executed without trial. By
4712-532: The Derg announced the National Revolutionary Development Campaign to mobilize human and material resources to transform the economy, which led to a ten-year plan (1984/85 - 1993/94) to expand agricultural and industrial output, forecasting a 6.5% growth in GDP and a 3.6% rise in per capita income. Instead, per capita income declined considerably to 0.8% over this period. Many Ethiopians viewed
4836-545: The Derg, the Ethiopian military was dominated by the Amhara ethnic group. Similar to the period of the Ethiopian Empire under Menelik II and Haile Selassie , over 80% of generals and over 65% of colonels in the armed forces were Amhara's. While the Amhara constituted the majority of the officer corps , the army was still ethnically heterogeneous. By 1980, the Derg was estimated to have an excess of 250,000 troops. This
4960-670: The Derg, the front's handling of famine and refugee problems, and the foreign connections it built through its mission in Khartoum , enabled the movement to mobilize and better equip more fighters to prepare for the shift from guerrilla to frontal attack. Moreover, developments within the TPLF in the mid-1980s led to a conceptual shift from a struggle for the liberation of Tigray to that of all Ethiopia. They established their headquarters in caves in Addi Geza'iti , some 50 kilometers west of Mekelle . The Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (EPDM),
5084-473: The EPLF saw success in their war, they sent reinforcements to The TPLF to support their taking of the capital in 1991. The fall of the Marxist-Lenninst League of Tigray began in 1989 and continued until 1991. During its fall the TPLF changed their parties platform and beliefs. Moving away from Marxism-Leninism, the party moved their stance to Revolutionary Democracy. In 1989 The TPLF and MLLT joined
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5208-687: The Eastern bloc communist parties. Mengistu became Secretary-General of the WPE and President of the PDRE while remaining the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Opposition to the reign of the Derg was the main cause of the Ethiopian Civil War . This conflict began as extralegal violence between 1975 and 1977, known as the Red Terror , when the Derg struggled for authority, first with various opposition groups within
5332-591: The Ethiopian army out of much of the region and into fortified urban centers. During the Ogaden War that soon followed, Somalia launched a full scale invasion to assist the WSLF. Under the Derg, Ethiopia became the Soviet bloc's closest ally in Africa and became one of the best-armed nations in the region as a result of massive military aid, chiefly from the Soviet Union , East Germany , Cuba and North Korea . In October 1978,
5456-712: The Free Officers Movement, which had been formed in 1987 by exiled Ethiopian officers in opposition to the Derg. In May 1990, Oromo members of the EPDM and politically re-educated Oromo prisoners of war founded the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization (OPDO) to deny the Oromo Liberation Front 's claim to be the exclusive representative of the Ethiopian Oromo. In November 1990, a Marxist–Leninist Oromo movement
5580-669: The Freedom of Tigray'), also known as the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front , is a left-wing ethnic nationalist , paramilitary group, and the former ruling party of Ethiopia . It was classified as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government during the Tigray War until its removal from the list in 2023. In older and less formal texts and speech it is known as Woyane ( Tigrinya : ወያነ , lit. 'Revolutionary') or Weyané ( Amharic : ወያኔ ). The TPLF
5704-505: The Imperial court were imprisoned. In August, after a proposed constitution creating a constitutional monarchy was presented to the emperor, the Derg began a program of dismantling the imperial government to forestall further developments in that direction. The Derg deposed and imprisoned the emperor on 12 September 1974. On 15 September, the committee renamed itself the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC) and took full control of
5828-409: The MLLT made many policy changes that were often compared to those made by the Derg previously. The Derg attempted land distribution before, but due to constant corruption and weak influence in the region of Tigray, they failed. The Derg pulled out of Tigray allowing for the TPLF and MLLT to decide how land reform should take place. During this conference the TPLF and MLLT decided to cement their place as
5952-476: The Political Association of Tigrayans (PAT) in 1972 and the Tigrayan University Students' Association (TUSA) beginning in the early 1960s. These student groups evolved into a radical nationalist group that operated in Tigray after the start of the Ethiopian revolution in 1974, and began calling for Tigrayan independence, forming the Tigray Liberation Front (TLF). Meanwhile, a Marxist current emerged in TUSA that advocated national self-determination for Tigray within
6076-485: The Pretoria agreement and threatening the peace. Debretsion stated that the congress was unprecedented and warned those gathered that the party's situation had "gone from bad to worse". Since the 14th party congress, factionalism within the TPLF escalated as both sides became more entrenched in their positions. Debretsion effectively has popular support and power over the TPLF party apparatus, while Getachew maintains authority over Tigray's interim regional government and
6200-445: The TPLF (original name Tigrinya : ተጋድሎ ሓርነት ሕዝቢ ትግራይ , Tägadlo Ḥarənnät Ḥəzbi Təgray , "The Popular Struggle for the Freedom of Tigray"). Welde Selassie Nega (Sebhat), Legese Zenawi (Meles), and others soon joined the original group, and, after the arrival of the trainees from Eritrea in June 1975, the TPLF had about 50 fighters. It then elected a formal leadership consisting of Sehul (the chairman), Muse (the military commander), and
6324-410: The TPLF and EPLF to put aside their differences and resume military cooperation. in 1989, the EPRDF formed a shadow government in Ethiopia to administer the liberated areas under its control. In February 1991, the EPRDF began its offensive against the ruling regime with the support of a large EPLF contingent. On May 28, 1991, the EPRDF captured Addis Ababa , the capital of Ethiopia, and took control of
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#17328520794856448-429: The TPLF began disarming in January 2023. Following the Pretoria peace agreement in 2022, the TPLF began experiencing severe internal divisions . The TPLF is considered to be the product of the marginalization of Tigrayans within Ethiopia after Menelik II of Shewa became emperor in 1889. The Tigrayan traditional elite and peasantry had a strong regional identity and a resentment due to their own perception of
6572-440: The TPLF diverted Western aid money intended for starving civilians to purchase weapons. A power struggle in the leadership saw future Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi rise to power during 1985. In July 1985, the Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray (MLLT) was founded at a congress of a few hundred selected cadres. The MLLT was to be the nucleus of the future Marxist–Leninist vanguard party for all Ethiopia. The MLLT invited
6696-406: The TPLF's land reform. Relations with the EPLF also did not develop smoothly. Its material support was much less than the TPLF had anticipated. Politically, the EPLF favored the multinational EPRP over the ethno regionalist TPLF with its separatist agenda at the time. After the Derg's victory in the Ogaden War in February 1978 and Mengistu Haile Mariam 's new support from the Soviets permitted
6820-427: The Tigray University Student Association, a new leftwing organization known as the Tigrayan National Organization was founded in 1974, from which the TPLF emerged in February 1975. The core ideology of the party was ethnonationalism infused with the theme of a class-based - ethnonationalism is the fundamental foundation of the party and it persisted throughout the entire existence of the TPLF. The TPLF argues that Ethiopia
6944-407: The Tigrayan National Organization (TNO). The founders were: Alemseged Mengesha ( nom de guerre : Haylu), Ammaha Tsehay (Abbay), Aregawi Berhe (Berhu), Embay Mesfin (Seyoum), Fentahun Zere'atsion (Gidey), Mulugeta Hagos (Asfeha), and Zeru Gesese (Agazi). The TNO was to prepare the ground for the future armed movement in Tigray. It secretly approached both the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) and
7068-622: The United States. With the coming to power of the TPLF in 1991 and the collapse of communist regime in Albania , the TPLF dropped all references to Marxism-Leninism. The leadership of the TPLF claims that the MLLT dissolved when the TPLF-backed Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front took power after the collapse of the Ethiopian Democratic People's Republic in 1991. Tigray People%27s Liberation Front The Tigray People's Liberation Front ( TPLF ; Tigrinya : ህዝባዊ ወያነ ሓርነት ትግራይ , romanized: Həzbawi Wäyyanä Ḥarənnät Təgray , lit. 'Popular Struggle for
7192-404: The armed forces of Ethiopia earlier that year. Its members were not directly involved in those mutinies nor was this the first military committee organized to support the administration of Prime Minister Endelkachew Makonnen . Alem Zewde Tessema had established the armed forces coordinated committee on 23 March. Over the following months, radicals in the Ethiopian military came to believe Makonnen
7316-414: The beginning. After the creation of the Marxist-Lenninst League of Tigray, the TPLF developed a cohesive discipline strategy because of the leadership of the MLLT. The TPLF with the help of the new vanguard party reorganized the structure of the army based on Marxist-Leninist ideology. In the process of reorganization, the MLLT attempted to clear out other parties and ideology that made up the front and center
7440-413: The chairman of the EPRDF unified the constituent parties of the coalition into the new Prosperity Party . The TPLF viewed this merger as illegal and did not participate. Abiy called on the TPLF to dissolve and become part of his newly established Prosperity Party . Many TPLF leaders began shifting from the nation's capital of Addis Ababa to the Tigray regional state capital of Mekelle . In this period
7564-480: The civil war that had been ongoing since 1974 following the toppling of the Ethiopian Empire. Before the revolution, the Ethiopian Student Movement presented a threat to the monarchy. Many of their ideals were similar to those of the Derg. After the Ethiopian Revolution in February 1974, the first signal of any mass uprisings was the actions of the soldiers of the 4th Brigade of the 4th Army Division in Nagelle in southern Ethiopia. They were mainly unhappy about
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#17328520794857688-424: The communist government in the late 1980s, with the Soviet Union retreating from the expansion of Communism under Mikhail Gorbachev 's glasnost and perestroika . Socialist bloc countries drastically reduced their aid to Ethiopia and were struggling to keep their own economies going. This resulted in even more economic hardship, and the military gave way in the face of determined onslaughts by guerrilla forces in
7812-404: The congress. Getachew described it as, "illegal movements by a group that does not represent the TPLF" several days before it was due to be held. Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed warned that the TPLF could find itself in a war if it went ahead with holding the congress. As the six day long meeting commenced on 13 August, an Ethiopian government minister accused the TPLF of "practically nullifying"
7936-432: The corporation. Although the Derg government came to an end on 22 February 1987, three weeks after a referendum approved the constitution for the PDRE , it was not until September that the new government was fully in place and the Derg formally abolished. The surviving members of the Derg, including Mengistu, remained in power as the leaders of the new civilian regime. The geopolitical situation became unfavourable for
8060-434: The country, then with a variety of groups jockeying for the role of vanguard party . Though human rights violations were committed by all sides, the great majority of abuses against civilians as well as actions leading to devastating famine were committed by the government. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church , which represents the Christian state church of Ethiopia for centuries, was disestablished in 1974. The Derg declared
8184-410: The country. In July 1991, the EPRDF established the Transitional Government of Ethiopia . In May 1991, the TPLF had 80,000 fighters, the EPDM had 8,000, and the OPDO had 2,000. The total number of TPLF members was well over 100,000. Reacting to the international political context after the demise of communism , the EPRDF and TPLF dropped all Marxist references in their political discourse and adopted
8308-414: The decline of Tigray. It was popularly referred to as Woyane, for evoking memories of the armed revolt of 1942–43 (the First Woyane) against the re-establishment of imperial rule after Italian occupation remained alive and provided an important reference for the new generations of educated Tigrayan nationalists. At Haile Selassie I University (now Addis Ababa University), Tigrayan students had formed
8432-419: The designated terrorist organizations, as well as others that have undertaken similar activities". Individuals or organizations that carry out " humanitarian activities", however, are exempt under Ethiopia's Anti-Terrorism Proclamation 1176/2020. On November 3, 2022, the Ethiopian government and the nationalist paramilitary group entered into a peace agreement, ending their two-year conflict. A draft agreement
8556-473: The dominance of the party emerged across the country during 2016. Amhara and Oromo elites came to an agreement to reform the TPLF created system, resulting in the accession of Abiy Ahmed to Prime Minister of Ethiopia in the following years. Internal power struggles within the EPRDF and its inability to quell popular protests resulted in a major political transition and Abiy Ahmed's election in 2018. During 2018, newly elected prime minister Abiy began curtailing
8680-459: The ethnic and national oppression of the Amhara culture. However, separatism was abandoned in 1978, which subsequently led to defections and splits within the party. It was increasingly dominated by a faction known as the Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray , which took over the leadership of the party and proclaimed Marxism–Leninism to be the organization's overarching ideology. The party's ideological shift made Marxist aspects temporarily dominate over
8804-417: The ethnonationalist ones, though the party remained ethnonationalist and envisioned a 'national revolution' that would install "a planned socialist economy free of exploitation of man by man". Core Marxist aspects embraced by the TPLF included vanguardism, democratic centralism, dictatorship of the proletariat, and also self-determination in the name of national liberation. The party was also heavily influence by
8928-642: The execution of Colonel Atnafu Abate in November 1977, Mengistu gained undisputed leadership of the Derg. In 1987, he formally dissolved the Derg and established the country as the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (PDRE) under a new constitution . Many of the Derg members remained in key government posts and also served as the members of the Central Committee and the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE). This became Ethiopia's civilian version of
9052-600: The far-leftist Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party , the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) guerrillas fighting for Eritrean independence, rebels based in Tigray (which included the nascent Tigray People's Liberation Front ) and other groups. For some time, the Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF), had been conducting guerilla operations in the Ogaden. By June 1977, it had succeeded in forcing
9176-500: The first prime minister. The EPRDF government, particularly in areas concerning the military-security complex and the economy, was dominated by the TPLF. Gradually the TPLF hegemony within the EPRDF grew stronger as the party dominated Ethiopia's federal administrations and the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) officer corps. The party exercised, "near-exclusive control over foreign aid, international loans, and
9300-542: The former is considered more likely. Both Derg and Haile Selassie government relocated numerous Amharas into southern Ethiopia, including present-day of the Oromia region, where they served in government administration, courts, church and school, where Oromo texts were eliminated and replaced by Amharic. After internal conflicts that resulted in the execution of General Tafari Benti and several of his supporters in February 1977, and
9424-459: The genuine revolutionaries in the ranks of the Derg regime, which was busy organizing its own communist party , the Ethiopian Workers' Party , to join it. In December 1988, the TPLF and EPDM formed the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) as the core of the planned United Democratic Front. In the spring of 1989, first the MLLT and then the TPLF held a congress. Abbay
9548-595: The gorge of the Wari River . Posing as orthodox defenders of Marxism-Leninism and allying itself with the communist current associated with the hard-line Enver Hoxha regime in Albania , the MLLT saw its goals as spreading Marxism-Leninism throughout the world and within the Tigray region. At the beginning of the Ethiopian Civil War , The TPLF was unorganized in their plans and execution. With only an organization and no political party backing them they suffered large losses at
9672-449: The government and all facilities within the government. The Derg chose Lieutenant General Aman Andom , a popular military leader and a Sandhurst graduate, to be its chairman and acting head-of-state. This was pending the return of Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen from medical treatment in Europe when he would assume the throne as a constitutional monarch. However, General Aman Andom quarreled with
9796-426: The influence and position of the TPLF within Ethiopian politics. In June of that year he unexpectedly sacked the two most powerful TPLF members since Zenawi's death - Samora Yunis (army chief of staff) and Getachew Assef (intelligence chief). The party felt threatened as Abiy carried out significant reforms that aimed to merge Ethiopia's ethnic parties and reduce the TPLF's influence. In November 2019, PM Abiy and
9920-401: The interim administration has accused Debretsion's group of attempting to destabilize Tigray through a coup d'état . Getachews administration has warned that it would pursue legal action against Debretsion's faction for allegedly sowing "chaos and anarchy". On 10 November 2024, Getachew released a statement declaring that Debretsion Gebremichael 's TPLF was plotting an 'official coup' against
10044-571: The issue of TPLF registration and legality had been resolved. NEBE also warned against the convening a congress without the election boards approval or monitoring. On 13 August 2024, the TPLF began its controversial 14th party congress in Mekelle , ignoring the NEBE's warning. The last congress had been held in September 2018. 14 members of the party's central committee, including deputy chair Getachew , boycotted
10168-404: The issue of secession arose. The emergence of the MLLT created some rifts with the Eritrean People's Liberation Front with which the TPLF was allied against the ruling Soviet-backed Ethiopian Derg . The MLLT took a much harder line on the role of the Soviet Union in the world, which they along with Albania viewed as social-imperialist and an enemy of the oppressed of the world. The EPLF held
10292-584: The lack of food and water and then arrested their brigade commander and other officers and kept them incarcerated. When the government sent the commander of the Ethiopian Ground Forces , General Deresse Dubala , to negotiate with the rebels, they held him and forced him to eat their food and drink their water. Similar mutinies took place at the Ethiopian Air Force base at Bishoftu on 12 February, and at Second Division at Asmara on 25 February. It
10416-465: The late 1970's the TPLF started using guerilla warfare against the Derg to protest the political changes being made. The TPLF was following an ethno-nationalist ideology fighting for a free Tigray Region . The Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray formed in 1985 to help organize the fight against the Derg. The formation of the Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray also helped complete the transition to
10540-423: The late 1980's the alliance broke down. The TPLF continued their belief that ethno-nationalist groups have the right to self determinate, and to go as far as to secede from their current country. The EPLF and Eritrea, similar to Ethiopia, had many different ethno-nationalities within its much smaller borders. The TPLF started to work with other Eritrean groups on the side due to this difference in platforms. In 1985,
10664-421: The leasing of public land to amass billions of dollars." With the EPRDF effectively under TPLF control, the Tigrayan position in Ethiopian governance post-1991 mirrored the political dominance that Amhara's had held in the country during most of the 20th century. PM Meles Zenawi purged many members of the TPLF who opposed him, and a 2001 split in the party nearly saw his removal. Following Zenawi's death in 2012,
10788-545: The legal definition as outlined in the Genocide Convention by the United Nations and other definitions in that it defines genocide as intent to wipe out political and not just ethnic groups. In this respect, it closely resembles the definition of politicide outlined by Barbara Harff , who wrote in 1992 that no Communist country or governing body had been convicted of genocide. The Derg army had significant role in
10912-582: The lengthy process, and twenty-five, including Mengistu, were tried in absentia . The trial ended 26 May 2008, and many of the officials were sentenced to death. In December 2010, the Ethiopian government commuted the death sentence of 23 Derg officials. On 4 October 2011, 16 former Derg officials were freed after twenty years of incarceration. The Ethiopian government paroled almost all of the Derg officials who had been imprisoned for 20 years. Other Derg ex-officials managed to escape and organized rebel groups to overthrow Ethiopia's new government. One of these groups
11036-563: The media blackout imposed by the federal government under Abiy. On March 23, 2021, in response to international pressure, the prime minister admitted for the first time that Eritrean forces had been in the Tigray region. In July 2021, after the Ethiopian government declared a unilateral cease-fire and withdrew from much of the Tigray region, the TDF entered neighboring Afar and Amhara regions . The ENDF then launched its own counteroffensive and recaptured these regions by December 2021. By March 2022,
11160-410: The mid-1980s, Ethiopia was plagued by multiple issues, such as droughts , economic decline and increasing reliance on foreign aid , recovering from the Ogaden War , and the 1983–1985 famine from which the Derg itself estimated more than a million deaths during its time in power. Conflicts between the Derg and various ethnic militias saw a gradual resurgence, particularly the Ethiopian Civil War and
11284-452: The most important pillars of the TPLF and MLLT because of how closely related to Marxism-Leninism it is, the TPLF and MLLT. Not trying to divide the country based on ethno-national borders the TPLF and MLLT worked to form a united coalition with other ethno-nationalist parties to demonstrate how a united Ethiopia could exist despite the many different ethno-nationalities within the country. This stance would become an issue with Eritrea later when
11408-546: The new Chairman of the Derg and the head of state, with Mengistu and Atnafu Abate as his two vice-chairmen, both with promotions to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. The monarchy was formally abolished in March 1975, and socialism was proclaimed the new ideology of the state. Emperor Haile Selassie died under mysterious circumstances on 27 August 1975 while his personal physician was absent. It is commonly believed that Mengistu killed him, either by ordering it done or by his own hand although
11532-582: The north. The Soviet Union stopped aiding the PDRE altogether in December 1990. Together with the fall of Communism in the Eastern Bloc in the Revolutions of 1989 , this itself dealt a serious blow to the PDRE. Towards the end of January 1991, a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) captured Gondar (the ancient capital city), Bahir Dar and Dessie . Meanwhile,
11656-596: The organization quickly splintered into factions of Meles loyalists, young technocrats in Addis and party officials in Mekelle . These factions took a wide range of positions on core issues, paralyzing the TPLF. Zenawi's handpicked successor, Halemariam Desalegn , proved too weak to manage growing internal strife in Ethiopia. Over the years the TPLF's position in the EPRDF weakened as Amhara and Oromo parties pushed backed against Tigrayan dominance. After 30 years of TPLF-based authoritarian rule, strong popular opposition to
11780-430: The organization recruited a substantial amount of fighters from different groups such as the police and paramilitary organizations, while also withdrawing its supporters from the Ethiopian national security establishment. This precipitated the Tigray War in late 2020. As TPLF leaders and parliament members began shifting back to Mekelle, the organization began to challenge the administration of Abiy Ahmed. In June 2020,
11904-481: The parents of minors who refused to enlist. After the Tigray War significantly reshaped the region's political landscape, the TPLF faced deepening divisions following the signing of the Pretoria Agreement . These divisions emerged between two factions: a 'hardline' group led by TPLF chairman Debretsion Gebremichael and a 'conciliatory' group led by deputy chairperson Getachew Reda . The power struggle between
12028-486: The party for the peasants by allowing them to decide how to fairly redistribute the land. The MLLT was the vanguard party for the TPLF until 1991. During the period between 1985 and 1991 the MLLT focused on the idea of class rule through mass organization. Through the mass organization initiative the MLLT and TPLF decided the direction and action of the party. Unlike the Derg, the TPLF and MLLT would use mass organization to inquire what policy or changes would be best. One of
12152-482: The party, thus threatening its existence. During August 2024, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) rejected the TPLF's request to reinstate its pre-war legal status. On 12 August, chairman Debretsion declared that NEBE's decision undermined the TPLF's 50-year legacy and violated the Pretoria deal which had ended the Tigray War during November 2022. Following the decision, the federal government announced that
12276-509: The party. The concept of revolutionary democracy came from Lenin's 1919 thesis "Bourgeois Democracy and the Proletarian Dictatorship", which proposed replacing the 'bourgeois' parliamentary democracy with revolutionary democracy, which would be secured by a vanguard party representing the masses, which would consult its constituency while still adhering to the socialist ideological guidelines. Meles Zenawi wrote that Ethiopia can become
12400-638: The political cadre school. The first three years of its existence were marked by a constant struggle for survival, unstable cooperation with Eritrean forces, and power struggles against the other Tigrayan fronts: in 1975, the TPLF liquidated the TLF; in 1976–78, it fought the Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU) in Shire ; and in 1978, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) in East Tigray. The front also suffered heavy losses from Derg offensives in
12524-647: The radical elements in the Derg over the issue of a new military offensive in Eritrea and their proposal to execute the high officials of Selassie's former government. After eliminating units loyal to him—the Engineers, the Imperial Bodyguard and the Air Force—the Derg removed General Aman from power and executed him on 23 November 1974, along with some of his supporters and 60 officials of the previous Imperial government. Brigadier General Tafari Benti became
12648-437: The region. Although the TPLF, the ELF, and the EPLF cooperated during the 1976 and 1978 Derg offensives in Tigray and Eritrea, no stable alliance emerged. The ELF resented the liquidation of the TLF and considered the relationship between the EPLF and the TPLF a serious threat. Since 1977, there had been conflict between ELF and the TPLF over the issue of Eritrean settlers in western Tigray, who were organized at ELF and rejected
12772-456: The revolution as a mask to perpetuate Amhara colonization that began during Emperor Menelik II . By 1978 the proportion of Amhara officials running the Ethiopian government was higher than it has ever been - even under Menelik and Selassie . By 1980, the original 120 members of the Derg had been whittled down to only 38. All members but three were ethnic Amhara and were predominantly from settler colonialist neftenya origins. Many member of
12896-528: The ruling elite were deeply opposed to the idea of loosening control on the rebellious southern regions conquered under Menelik II . Famine scholar Alex de Waal observed that while the famine that struck the country in the mid-1980s is usually ascribed to drought, closer investigation shows that widespread drought occurred only some months after the famine was already underway. Hundreds of thousands fled economic misery, conscription and political repression and went to live in neighbouring countries and all over
13020-449: The same year as the founding of the MLLT, the EPLF cut off the only route to Somalia from Ethiopia just before aid was being delivered to Ethiopia due to famine. The route was closed because the EPLF believed that the action taken by the TPLF and MLLT was an act of betrayal. The action taken by the EPLF would mark a change in the relationship by the two parties. Conflict was resolved as both the EPLF and TPLF continued their armed struggles. As
13144-526: The seven TNO founders. Berhu was appointed political commissar. Sehul played a crucial role in helping the nascent TPLF establish itself among the local peasantry. The TPLF embraced a Marxist vision focused on 'radical decentralization' of the Ethiopian state. In contrast to the Eritrean and Somali liberation movements, the TPLF sought not independence, but the overthrow of the central government to establish its own revolutionary framework for Ethiopia. Although
13268-637: The substantial growth of his forces, the TPLF's momentum seemed to slow. During the TPLFs early years, the Derg was primarily focused on the Eritrean and Somali insurgencies , allowing it to avoid the full force of the Ethiopian military as its numbers grew to 20,000 strong. In February 1979, the TPLF held its first regular congress. It declared its struggle the Second Woyane ( kalay wäyyanä ) and changed its Tigrinya name to Həzbawi Wäyyanä Harənnät Təgray . It adopted
13392-432: The upper classes, students, and educated population of Tigray. They started to focus on social issues, wealth inequality, and imperialism. Mass strikes occurred in Ethiopia in 1974 causing large political confusion and change. The armed forces of Ethiopia formed the Derg , which took control of the country in the midst of the confusion. The Derg attempted to push other marxist groups out of the main political discourse. In
13516-546: The views strictly on Marxism-Lenninism. Shortly after the reorganization, the TPLF pushed the Ethiopian army backwards, nearing Addis Ababa. The power of the TPLF was transitioned and concentrated into The MLLT following the Leninist ideology of an intellectual intelligentsia leading the revolution. With this model as the new core of the TPLF, several policies were put in place. These policies aimed to address; land reform, class rule, and rights of nationalities. The TPLF being run by
13640-471: The war had come to a virtual standstill. On 2 November 2022, the Pretoria Peace Agreement was signed, ending the Tigray War . The TPLF was accused of forcing recruitment into the TDF, including minors. According to several witnesses and Tigrayan administrators, every household in Tigray was required to enlist a family member in the TDF. Those who refused were arrested and imprisoned, including
13764-479: The whole scheme. Many students embraced Mengistu as a 'the hero of the reform'. In addition, the Derg in 1975 nationalized most industries and private and somewhat secured urban real-estate holdings. Mismanagement, corruption and general opposition to the Derg's dictatorial and violent communist rule, coupled with the draining effects of constant warfare with the separatist guerrilla movements in Eritrea and Tigray, led to
13888-547: Was acting on behalf of the hated feudal aristocracy. When a group of notables petitioned for the release of a number of government ministers and officials who were under arrest for corruption and other crimes, three days later the Derg was announced. The Derg, which originally consisted of soldiers at the capital, broadened its membership by including representatives from the 40 units of the Army, Air Force, Navy , Kebur Zabagna (Imperial Guard), Territorial Army and police : each unit
14012-433: Was dominated by the TPLF, who gradually consolidated control over Ethiopia's federal administrations, the ENDF, and key economic resources such as foreign aid, loans, and land leases, amassing billions. The TPLF's restructuring of Ethiopia into an ethnic federal state further fueled civil conflicts in the ensuing decades. The TPLF lost control of the federal government in 2018. During the Tigray War that began in 2020,
14136-611: Was elected chairman of both organizations, but toward the end of 1989 Meles became chairman of both. In May 1989, the EPDM formed the Ethiopian Marxist–Leninist Force (EMLF). In July 1989, MLLT and EMLF formed the Union of Ethiopian Proletarian Organizations. In April 1990, the TPLF formed the Ethiopian Democratic Officers Movement from politically re-educated captured Ethiopian officers to undermine
14260-674: Was established within the OPDO. Also in 1990, the TPLF formed the Afar Democratic Union to undermine the Afar movements. It had already helped build liberation fronts in Gambella and Benshangul before 1985. In early 1988, the EPLF and the TPLF went on the offensive. The evolving situation in both Eritrea and Tigray, as well as the changing international context after the breakup of the Soviet bloc , prompted
14384-463: Was expected to send three representatives, who were supposed to be privates, NCOs and junior officers up to the rank of major. According to Bahru Zewde, "Senior officers were deemed too compromised by close association to the regime." The Derg was reported to have consisted of 120 soldiers, a statement which has gained wide acceptance due to the habitual secretiveness of the Derg in its early years. But, Bahru Zewde notes that "in actual fact, their number
14508-493: Was founded on February 18, 1975, in Dedebit , Tigray . Within 16 years, it grew from about a dozen men to become the most powerful armed liberation movement in Ethiopia. Unlike the Eritrean or Somali liberation fronts at the time, the TPLF did not seek independence from the Ethiopian state; instead, it aimed to overthrow the central government and implement its own version of the Ethiopian revolution . From 1988 to 2018, it led
14632-508: Was less than 110", and Aregawi Berhe mentions two different sources which record 109 persons as being members of the Derg. No new members were ever admitted, and the number decreased, especially in the first few years, as some members were expelled or killed. The Derg first assembled at the Fourth Division headquarters, and elected Major Mengistu Haile Mariam as its chairman and Major Atnafu Abate as vice-chairman. Their stated mission
14756-422: Was punished or even executed by TPLF authorities. As a result, local support for the TPLF was consistent and invaluable. The local population shared food and resources with the fighters, provided them with safe havens, and, most importantly, provided the TPLF with up-to-date information. In retrospect, it is evident that the 1978-1985 period further strengthened the TPLF. The increasingly alienating intervention of
14880-408: Was quickly deleted as it proved so controversial and generally unpopular. It is thought that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed , who had at that time released thousands of political prisoners, had approved the visit possibly because some opposition groups had used Mengistu's image to voice their disapproval of Abiy's policies. In May 2022, Zimbabwe 's Foreign Affairs Minister Ambassador Frederick Shava gave
15004-415: Was sent to The Associated Press stating that the TPLF will first be disarmed with their "light weapons" followed by the Ethiopian federal forces' retrieval of "all federal facilities, installations, and major infrastructure such as airports and highways within the Tigray region." Derg The Derg (or Dergue ; Amharic : ደርግ , lit. ' committee ' or ' council ' ), officially
15128-540: Was sentenced to death in 2008 in absentia , charged with genocide, homicide, illegal imprisonment and property seizures. In 2009, Zimbabwe's late former Information Minister, Tichaona Jokonya , in an interview with Voice of America said Harare was not going to extradite Mengistu. In August 2018, Ethiopian former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn while heading an African Union election observer mission in Harare met with Mengistu, and shared their photo on Facebook , which
15252-439: Was these protests that gave rise to the general uprising among the civilian segments such as students and trade unions. The Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police and Territorial Army, known as the Derg, was officially announced on 28 June 1974 by a group of military officers. This was done under the pretext of maintaining law and order, due to the powerlessness of the civilian government following widespread mutiny in
15376-521: Was to study and address the grievances of various military units, investigate abuses by senior officers and staff and root out corruption in the military. In July, the Derg obtained key concessions from emperor, Haile Selassie , which included the power to arrest not only military officers but government officials at every level. Soon both former Prime Ministers Aklilu Habte-Wold and Endelkachew Makonnen , along with most of their cabinets, most regional governors, many senior military officers and officials of
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