U.S Should Declare TPLF Is Finished, Be Dissolves: Former Assistant Secretary Cohen

Addis Ababa, February 19/2022/ENA/ Former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Herman J. Cohen said the United States should declare that TPLF is finished and be dissolved.

The former veteran American told Ahadu Television and Radio that the whole emphasis of the United States right now is on negotiation.

It wants negotiation to take place, but if you say negotiations that means the TPLF and the government will be equal. “Right?” he asks.

“I think this is a mistake. They should not consider the TPLF to be the equal of the government, and I think the United States should say the TPLF is finished and they should dissolve.”

Highlighting that they’ve done some pretty bad things in terms of stealing the wealth, Ambassador Cohen noted that “they have not done anything for the people of Ethiopia. But they've done a lot for the TPLF. I think their time is finished and it's time for them to leave the scene and allow the people of Ethiopia to choose.”

TPLF is no longer relevant for the state of Ethiopia, he stressed, adding that the group should be leaving.

Asked why the U.S wants to rescue the TPLF despite its being dictator for years, the former ambassador said “I think it's fair to say that it is because the US has had such good relations with the TPLF over the years.”

He added, “I would say that the State Department was a victim of history. They were so close to the TPLF over many years in power that they fail to see that the time of the TPLF is over.”

When the rule of TPLF fell apart in 2019, the State Department tended to look at the situation as if TPLF and the government were equal and that meant the TPLF was considered on the same status as the government, “which was a big mistake.”

This is despite the fact that the entire international community has recognized the government in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Cohen pointed out.  

The Tigray People's Liberation Front had been in power for 29 years, the former assistant secretary recalled, further stating that when he “negotiated the final peace in 1990/91, the TPLF had captured Addis Ababa militarily, and they established the first post-war government. Unfortunately, the government that they established was not democratic. It was a total TPLF dictatorship.”  

Citing that they created a fake confederation of 10 states, he elaborated that “each ethnic group had their own state and it looked like a decentralized government. But it wasn't. The TPLF totally controlled everything. They controlled all the wealth. They controlled all the elections.”

Ambassador Cohen underlined the system was a total TPLF dictatorship. That fell apart in 2019. Now, the TPLF should be finished because they were in power for 29 years and they did not do anything for the Ethiopian people.