By Samuel Gabisso

When Sidama people think of the TPLF, the first thing that comes to mind is the Looqqe massacre when TPLF “federal” police shot over 300 Sidama civilians, with so many deaths and tens of thousands of protestors imprisoned. While this May 2002 event will be remembered forever, the reasons why TPLF regime blocked the right to self-determination of Sidama nation must be understood in proper context.

Since the advent of the new constitution over 25 years ago, Sidama nationalists peacefully pursued our rights to self-rule but were met with TPLF bullets at every turn. For years, the Tigrayan liberation front used various tactics to subvert justice and democracy. The most deadly but effective tool they used was “divide and conquer.” 

This TPLF regime policy was very successful because the south was the most densely and diversely settled state in Ethiopia. The regime in fact did not need to depend on the same puppet group everytime because another puppet clique come along and became available for exploitation at every turn. Particularly Hawassa became their political playground as it was not just the Wolayta elite but also the Gurage and Amhara elite they exploited as well as Sidama elites with selfish interest. In fact, people used to joke that Abay Tsehaye and the TPLF know more about Sidama clan rivalries more than Sidamas themselves!

But the main reason why TPLF wanted a weak Sidama was not simply for politics, but for economic domination. Thru their conglomerate EFFORT, the TPLF was engaged in massive investments and ventures. But unlike other regional states and zones where TPLF’s business interests were illegally carried out openly with no need for puppetry, the TPLF jointly used non-Tigrayan for corruption in regions that are fertile and in blossoming cities that began urbanization. So some of the EFFORT investments were done in collaboration with locals. Instead of solving poverty for locals, keeping the status quo of Hawassa to have Ethiopians from all ethnic groups moving in for a gold rush was important economically for TPLF’s agents who already took up most of the real estate and investments in the city. The fake speculative market in Hawassa was so huge that land prices were growing faster than in Addis Ababa. But in reality, TPLF already owned most of it and TPLF business always had the upper hand being able to “borrow” free money from National banks anytime they want.

Another economic benefit for TPLF was foreign corporations who were paying top money for “Fertile” and “empty” land. In these dealings, the TPLF was not only enriching in birr, but also in dollars. Most of this money has already been put in foreign banks of TPLF officials and their friends/families, but their greed was never ending. Looking back, in many ways, the 2018 reform can not be seen only as a political loss for the TPLF but a massive economic devastation for their empire. 

Even after the new government of Dr Abiy Ahmed already decided to allow Sidama referendum in 2019, the TPLF tried one more time to stop Sidama statehood. After blocking our rights for 25 years, many TPLF media tried to say we can’t wait a few more months and spread rumors against Abiy and Sidama leaders which led to suspicions.

The TPLF incited non-Sidamas and many agents of the TPLF tried to portray Sidama referendum as an “anti-others” event. In reality, the referendum was not “against” others but “for” us, for the local people. After subjugating the Raya, Kunama, Welkait Amhara, Oromo and others for 30 years inside Tigray, the TPLF even tried to portray themselves as “federalists” in their last minute hail-Mary effort to fool Sidama and other Ethiopian nationalities, but they failed.

For decades, the TPLF used divisive politics to satisfy its greed, corruption and economic domination but unfortunately for itself, it could not go back to those same tactics to restore its hegemony. 

Samuel Gabisso is a Sidama political analyst and journalist

Awasa Guardian (AG)