Addis Abeba — On 18 February, 2026, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) marked its 51st anniversary against a backdrop of renewed political tension in Tigray. Few political entities have influenced the Ethiopian landscape as profoundly–or as controversially–as the TPLF. Over the course of five decades, the organization has functioned as a liberation movement, a governing elite, and a primary architect of the modern state. Yet, it remains a deeply polarizing force whose enduring legacy continues to be the subject of intense debate.
Founded in 1975, the TPLF played a decisive role in the armed struggle that culminated in the overthrow of military rule in 1991. As the core force within the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), it exerted significant influence over the political order that followed, including the restructuring of the Ethiopian state along federal lines and years of relative stability and economic growth. Critics also point to patterns of centralized power, political exclusion, and governance practices that they say made people less trusting of each other and made ethnic divisions worse.
As the party commemorates another year since its founding, Ethiopians are once again debating its place in the country’s contemporary history. In my view, any credible and balanced assessment must recognize both dimensions of its record: the state-building efforts that redefined governance and expanded political participation, and the political practices that fueled division, entrenched mistrust, and, ultimately, violent conflict.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Origins: From insurgency to state power
The TPLF emerged in the mid-1970s amid imperial collapse, military dictatorship, and regional marginalization. Initially formed as a Tigrayan nationalist insurgency, it framed its struggle around resistance to central authoritarianism and the demand for self-determination, as documented in the Ethiopian Studies Association’s historical analysis.
Over time, the TPLF evolved from a regional guerrilla movement into the most effective military and organizational force opposing the Derg regime. In 1991, as a leading member of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, it entered Addis Ababa as a victor and became the dominant power within Ethiopia’s new ruling coalition, a transition Addis Standard examined in detail.
That transition from insurgency to state leadership defined both its achievements and its contradictions.
Positive Contributions: State reconstruction, stability
The TPLF played a decisive role in toppling the Derg, bringing an end to nearly two decades of harsh military rule. For many Ethiopians, this alone constitutes a historic achievement, as Ethiopian historians have observed. The fall of the Derg not only closed a chapter marked by repression and protracted civil war but also opened space for a fundamental reimagining of the Ethiopian state.
The post-2018 political transition dramatically altered the TPLF’s position.”
In the post-1991 period, the new political order introduced ethnic federalism, granting regions constitutional recognition, affirming local languages, and institutionalizing self-administration. Although the model has remained a subject of intense debate, it sought to address long-standing grievances rooted in political exclusion and cultural marginalization. The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia continues to serve as the cornerstone of this restructuring and the legal framework of the federal system.
During the years of EPRDF governance, Ethiopia recorded sustained economic growth for nearly two decades. Large-scale investments in infrastructure–including roads, dams, health facilities, and schools–extended state presence into rural areas that had long been neglected. The World Bank’s reports documents this period as one of significant expansion in public services and development indicators.
Compared to many post-conflict states, Ethiopia preserved its territorial integrity, maintained a functioning bureaucracy, and achieved relative macroeconomic stability during this time. The TPLF’s disciplined organizational culture and centralized decision-making structures contributed to institutional continuity.
For its supporters, these achievements illustrate how a movement that began as a regional insurgency evolved into a governing force capable of stabilizing and reconstructing a fragile state.
Negative Legacies: Power concentration, political closure
The same period also generated deep and enduring grievances that continue to shape Ethiopia’s political landscape.
Although the EPRDF was formally structured as a multi-party coalition, effective power was widely perceived to reside with the TPLF. Key security, intelligence, and economic institutions were seen as disproportionately influenced by its cadres, fostering a sense of marginalization among other political actors and constituencies. The International Crisis Group’s analysis examines this imbalance and its long-term implications.
Over time, political space narrowed considerably. Opposition parties were constrained, electoral processes became increasingly uncompetitive, and dissent was frequently framed as a matter of national security. Independent media and civil society organizations faced mounting pressure, further limiting avenues for peaceful political engagement. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented the contraction of media freedom during this period, underscoring concerns about authoritarian governance.
Economic management also drew criticism. State-affiliated conglomerates linked to the ruling elite came to dominate key sectors of the economy. While overall growth figures were strong, perceptions of unequal access to opportunity and patronage networks fueled resentment across regions. An Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA) study explored how these structural imbalances shaped public discontent.
By the mid-2010s, sustained protests–particularly in the Oromia and Amhara regions–signaled widespread frustration with political exclusion, economic inequality, and centralized control. The legitimacy of the EPRDF order was visibly eroding, a trajectory extensively documented in Addis Standard’s coverage of the 2015-2018 protests.
From power to conflict
The post-2018 political transition dramatically altered the TPLF’s position. Losing federal dominance, the party retreated to regional power in Tigray, redefining itself once again as a resistance movement.
This shift culminated in devastating war between 2020 and 2022, a conflict that inflicted immense human suffering, displacement, and economic destruction not only in Tigray but across northern Ethiopia.
For critics, the TPLF bears heavy responsibility for political brinkmanship and militarization. For supporters, it acted in self-defense against centralization and repression. What is indisputable is that the war marked the most tragic chapter in the party’s history and fundamentally reshaped its standing in Ethiopian politics.
Present Moment: Political actor, not hegemon
Today, the TPLF no longer commands the central levers of the Ethiopian state. It remains a significant regional political force with deep historical roots and legitimacy in Tigray, yet its national influence is markedly constrained by shifting political and social realities.
The federal power structure has been reshaped following the 2023-2024 political realignments, altering alliances and recalibrating authority at the center. At the same time, public opinion reflects deep polarization, as illustrated by studies, underscoring the fragility of national cohesion. Civil society organizations have amplified calls for accountability, institutional reform, and inclusive governance, signaling broader societal expectations for change. Meanwhile, humanitarian assessments point to a population profoundly exhausted by years of conflict, economic strain, and social disruption.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Against this backdrop, the central question is whether the TPLF can redefine itself as a constructive political actor within an increasingly pluralistic system, or whether it remains constrained by the political habits and narratives that shaped its past. The Ethiopian Policy Studies Institute has explored this dilemma, framing it as a defining test of the party’s future role in Ethiopia’s evolving political order.
Conclusion: Legacy that defies simplicity
The history of the TPLF resists simple verdicts. It helped overthrow the dictatorship, reconstruct the Ethiopian state, and preside over years of growth and stability. It also centralized power, narrowed political space, and contributed through action and miscalculation to a cycle of mistrust and conflict.
Anniversaries invite reflection, not absolution.
For Ethiopia to move forward, neither demonization nor nostalgia will suffice. What is required is a sober reckoning with the TPLF’s achievements, its failures, and the broader political culture it helped shape. Only through such reckoning can Ethiopia hope to build a future in which no single movement, region, or narrative again dominates the state at the expense of national cohesion, as scholars of Ethiopian political transition have argued. AS
Editor’s Note: Amb. Ewnetu B. Debela is a diplomat, scholar, and policy analyst specializing in the Horn of Africa. A former ambassador, his analysis draws on extensive diplomatic experience and academic research in regional security and state-building. He can be reached at debelaewnetu@gmail.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
