A few points on Alex De Wall’s recent interview and article
By Abera G Mariam
It was General Tadesse Worede, the head of current Tigray Interim Gov and the then commander-in-chief of TDF, who first heralded the end of the war when Shire, Western Tigray, fell at the hands of the Ethiopian gov. Alex De Wall, a through and through advocates of TPLF in the diaspora, re-enforced Gen Tadesse’s view by writing on BBC that the war was indeed over and TDF had no option other than total surrender. This was too much to swallow for the TPLFites who were being told otherwise.
To counter Alex De Wall and Gen Tadesse & boost shattered morale, Ato Getachew Reda, the then spoke person of TDF, who has no shame to tell outright lies, gave an interview. In his interview, he repeated the expected rhetoric that there is nothing to worry about as TDF was winning. That settled the TPLFites nerves for few days until the inevitable; the infamous Pretoria Agreement.
Put simply, as rightly acknowledged by the many & various die- hard TPLFites including Seye Abraha, Ambassador Gebrekiristos, Tewodros Tsegaye of Reyot , even Stalin to mention but a few, PM Abiy got 100% what he wanted from Pretoria Agreement. TPLF got nothing but saved its life from total annihilation.
Irrespective of the current bravado from the TPLFites, this was pretty much the undisputed and easily verifiable fact. Ato Getachew expressly stated, Dr Debrestion used to call him time and again to instruct him to sign the agreement at any cost, by accepting unconditionally what ever PM Abiy wanted. That was exactly what Ato Getachew did.
The young Alex De Wall cuts his political teeth working with the TPLF. He travelled, met, discussed and interviewed TPLF leaders in the bushes when TPLF was waging an armed struggle. So profound was his attachment with the TPLF, he can be excused if he considers himself as one of them. Alex De Wall even wrote an euology, entitled in “Memoriam of Seyoum Mesfin..”, after Seyoum was killed in the infamous war.
This article focuses on some of the interesting points raised by the below Alex De Wall’s recent interview and article. Alex De Wall co-authored with Mulugeta an article entitled “Tigray: Time for a New Leadership” . Alex De Wall also gave an interview with Zeray Press: “breaking down Tigray’s deep crisis”.
1. On Pretoria Agreement:
Alex De Wall laments the Pretoria Agreement primarily for lack of detailed mechanisms of implementation & coining amatorily the word “cessation of hostilities”. However, with out a doubt, the main shortcomings of Pretoria Agreemt was that, the Amhara People, the Afar People and the Eritrean Gov who were a party to the bloody war & who sacrificed a lot, were unwisely sidelined and left out of the negotiation deliberately. The birth of FANO and PM Abiy’s current bitter rivalary with Eritrea are the direct result of this unfortunate exclusion. Of course, it is not a surprise if Alex De Wall gave a blind eye for it.
2. On TPLF current political and military leaders
Alex De Wall is unambiguously advocating for a new political and military leadership. He argues the current leadership is not fit for purpose and passed its sold by date. He certainty sees the leadership as a liability Tigray can’t afford any more.
This is way far beyond a red line, particularly for the Debretsion – Monjorino splinter TPLF group. Besides, because of Alex De Wall’s close association with General Tsadikan who is branded as a sell out because of his association with PM Abiy, the TPLF propagandists are out in full force to avenge Alex De Wall; their one time untouchable hero.
3. On the war b/n TPLF & PM Abiy:
Alex De Wall belives TPLF could have avoided the war at best or better prepared for the war at least.
We should not take this remark lightly in view of his profound association with TPLF. How I wished he was more explicit on this. But for reasons he can only tell, he failed to give a detailed account why he thought the TPLF made a blunder on the starting of the war.In light how easily TPLF capitulated during the war, Alex De Wall is spot on that TPLF should have prepared better.
Whether TPLF could have avoided the war is an interesting question that needs to be scrutinised. The late TPLF journalist Seku Ture, on TPLF media outlet Demtsi Woyane, broadcasted how TPLF pre-eminently striked with lightening speed to wipe out the Ethiopian military in Tigray. Does this possibly led to his assertion that the TPLF made a blunder to start the war?
General Yohannes, former TPLF General, in his recent Amharic book entitled ” Azurit/አዙሪት”, wrote in detail how Sebhat Nega, who fled Addis and garrisoned himself at Mekele, was mobilising the whole TPLF machinery for war.
Put simply, Alex De Wall should have evidence to suggest that TPLF could have avoided the war at best. It is important that he shares his evidence.
4. On the Alliance b/n TPLF & EPLF
Alex De Wall equates the current alliance (ፅምዶ) between EPLF & the Debrestion- Monjorino TPLF splinter group, as unholy alliance between a rabbit and cobra dinning together, where who would eventually swallow who is pretty obvious.
He further believes this alliance will certainly make Tigray the battle ground for PM Abiy & President Issayas and shoulder the brunt of the forthcoming war. He stressed, Tigray can’t afford another war and it will be the final straw that will break Tigray”s back.
5. On the possibility of Civil War in Tigray
Because of the incompetence of the TPLF leadership, Alex De Wall argues, TPLF, the military, the diaspora, the civic society, activists,….are bitterly divided. If there is no new leadership, he emphasised Tigray might potentially descend into a bloody civil war.
In light of the TPLF being splintered into the Getachew Reda group (Raya dissent), General Tadesse Worede group (Enderta dissent), Debretsion- Monjorino (Adwa backed group) & significant people opposing the alliance with EPLF across the board, it is very difficult not to conquer with Alex De Wall on this issue.
6. TPLF, collective leadership and Meles’s template
Another interesting point Alex De Wall raised was that, TPLF’s strength was its collective leadership until Meles came out as the undisputed dictator after defeating the Seye group after the Badme war.
He highlights, the lack of collective leadership was, the main reason why TPLF had no answer and was in total disarray when ANDM & OPDO ganged-up against TPLF under the banner of Oro-mara. Even worse, he argued, the leadership used and still are using Meles’s old and obsolete templates to solve the current problem. He stressed, if Meles was alive, he most certainly twicked and adjusted the templates with the evolving conditions.