By Habib Kedir

Tesfaye Gebreab, controversial Eritrean-Ethiopian author and journalist, died in Nairobi Kenya. Initially a top EPRDF press official and member of the TPLF, Tesfaye later separated from the ruling party due to political and financial reasons.

His supporters have long praised his wide range of writing talent and for publishing several Amharic books that made him famous. But some of his books have been used by ethno-nationalists to divide Ethiopia by ethnicity, and plant the seeds of hate & violence. 

Tesfaye’s ideological views have also changed around overtime as his career and political affiliations switched. Early in the 1990s, he created propaganda for TPLF media outlets. Despite affection from Oromo nationalists late in his career, Gebreab’s media colleagues say he mocked Oromo liberation groups as frail in the early 1990s, at times using ethnic slur to insult Oromos. During that period, his TPLF party easily disbanded the OLA, imprisoning or executing some of the OLF leadership. However, ten years later, Tesfaye became at odds with TPLF, including losing economic benefits. During this phase of his career, he began to expose human rights abuses by TPLF against Ethiopians, particularly against Oromos.

Both as a member of TPLF and later, He wrote accounts describing some parts of Ethiopian history using graphic and controversial narratives that portrayed the Amhara and Oromo as bitter enemies. To cause maximum damage on his former TPLF party, Tesfaye also disseminated storylines preying on various ethnic fault-lines inside the country. His description of Tigrayan supremacy both in the Ethiopian polity and inside the EPRDF coalition, was his most influential political work that might have played a role in the weakening of the Tigrayan-led ruling party after the death of Meles Zenawi. Tesfaye also exposed the inside working of Siye Abraha and diaspora Tigrayan perceived opponents of TPLF like Abraha Belai, accusing them of having more loyalty to Tigray rather than to Ethiopia. 

Despite support from Oromo nationalists, Tesfaye’s biggest critic was Lemma Megersa, the leader of Oromo protests that ended TPLF rule. Lemma said divisive figures including Tesfaye Gebreab are “hate-mongers who want Ethiopians to fight forever, who lied to us that Amharas cut the breasts of our ancestors…” Lemma, who was Oromia President, complained these divisive narratives are promoting a cycle of violence and displacements in the country.