Ethiopia: Tigrean Nationalism: From Revolutionary Force to Weapon of Repression

By Jawar Siraj Mohammed
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Browse through any Ethiopian websites, and you will discover that almost every article or commentary says something about the Tigrean domination of the country. The cyber world is crammed with statistics, testimonies, conspiracy theories and condemnations. Some of the fervent cases brought forth include;

• How Tigray disproportionally benefits under this regime,
• How 95% of all important military and security posts have been occupied by ethnic
• Tigreans,
• Reports over the TPLF-owned giant conglomerate known by its acronym, EFFORT
• Accounts of how the Tigrean-only Agazi commando force has been used to commit
• heinous crimes,
• The meteoric rise of Tigrean elites into the club of world millionaires,
• And denunciations of the unacceptable monopolization of the church and mosque
• leadership by rebels-turned-men-of-God.

Most of these allegations are true, while some are perhaps exaggerated. However, there is no doubt that they are indicative of the growing rift between Tigrean elites, who deny or defend their hegemonic and exclusive economic advantage, and their adversaries, who offer evidence after evidence to back up their complaints. Read the rest in PDF Here


I have been a keen observer of how the system actually functions under the shadow of the current regime. As I read arguments and analyses provided by different individuals and groups, I find a lack of revealing analysis of the true purpose behind the blatantly pro-Tigrean policies of the current regime. Therefore, in this article I will analyze the trategies, tactics and politics behind the transformation of the TPLF from a peasant revolutionary force into Africa's richest oligarchy.Read the rest in PDF Here


First encounter with a Tigrean Nationalist
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My initial encounter with a Tigrean nationalist took place sometime in the mid-„90s, at a time when the fight between TPLF and Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) was at its peak. A discussion between an older neighbor and a TPLF soldier called Manjus caught my attention. Manjus was passionately talking about how he joined TPLF. His story begins about ten years earlier, when the young Tigrean and his sister were attending high school in a town far away from their village. One day, they returned home for a mid-semester vacation and found their village virtually burned to the ground. The two students came home to discover a completely demolished house, dead parents and whatever property the peasant family owned gone. In a tragic incident, the two siblings lost everything. They had no hope, no family or means of support that could help them go back to school. To make matters worse, they were told that the Derg cadres were hunting for them. As they tried to cope with the sudden shock, anger, and despair, they were met by TPLF recruiters who came with a promise of a means for revenge towards those who slaughtered their parents and also bring peace, justice and democracy to their oppressed Tigrean people. The helpless mourners and enraged youngsters could not resist the offer, so they joined the freedom fighters. A few years later, Manjus lost his sister to the war shortly before TPLF controlled Finfinne. Soon things turned upside down. When Meles replaced Mengistu, Manjus‟ turn came to chase another rebel group and burn down many other villages, including Read the rest in PDF Here