A Legacy In Motion: A Veteran General’s Ponderings On Tigray Politics | The Reporter Ethiopia
A Personal Reflection on the Book:“Tigray: Political Governance and Leadership Role”“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. ”— John C. MaxwellBy Temesgen DamtewFrom The Reporter. . .
A Personal Reflection on the Book:“Tigray: Political Governance and Leadership Role”“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. ”— John C. MaxwellBy Temesgen DamtewFrom The Reporter MagazineWritten in Amharic under the titleየትግራይፖለቲካአስተዳደርእናየመሪነትሚናand translated into English asTigray: Political Governance and Leadership Role(translation mine), this compelling book is authored by the distinguished Ethiopian veteran General Gebretsadikan Gebretensae. Published in both Amharic and Tigrinya in 2018 E. C. , the 265-page Amharic edition offers a rare, firsthand political account of Tigray’s governance, leadership, and historical trajectory. This book delivers a timely and critical reflection on Tigrayan politics, governance, and leadership within the broader context of Ethiopia’s recent political history. Written by an insider with direct knowledge of the events, it examines the root causes of the region’s political crisis, the struggles of its leadership, and the urgent need for democratic renewal and recovery. The volume is particularly valuable because it seamlessly combines rigorous political analysis with a deeply personal, firsthand perspective. The book is organized into four chapters that trace Ethiopia’s recurring political crises and Tigray’s search for reform and stability:From The Reporter MagazineThe Roots of Crisis:It begins by examining the 2008 E. C. political crisis and the failures of the EPRDF/TPLF to fulfill its responsibilities in state development and democratic consolidation. Internal Struggles:It then turns to Tigray’s internal political struggles, emphasizing the need for systemic change and the importance of building a democratic foundation for long-term stability. The Interim Administration:The final chapter discusses the interim government under Getachew Reda, the public demand for transformation, and the challenges of implementing meaningful reform. Overall, the book presents a serious call for reflection, reform, and recovery. Yet, beyond its many analytical merits, what ultimately makes this book essential reading is the extraordinary life of the man who wrote it. The Maker and Observer of HistoryIt was at a remarkably young age that the author made the bold decision to leave Addis Ababa University and join the armed struggle in Tigray. That choice was extraordinary, especially in the context of the time. During the 1960s E. C. , access to higher education was a rare privilege reserved for a small, highly select group of students, as the country possessed only a handful of universities. Yet for a visionary like Tsadiqan, whose aspirations reached far crucial societal needs, the call of a greater cause proved stronger. He willingly relinquished the comfort of academic life to embrace the uncertainty and immense hardship of the armed struggle. Fifteen years later, after an arduous and bitter campaign, the young university student returned to Addis Ababa not as a scholar, but as one of the foremost commanders of the victorious liberation forces. Leading the battle-hardened fighters of the EPRDF, he entered the capital in 1991, bringing an end to the Derg regime. In a striking twist of history, the vision that had compelled him to abandon his academic studies was realized in the very city he had left behind. Subsequently, Tsadiqan rose through the ranks to become a General and Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), where he played a central role in rebuilding and modernizing the national army. During the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, he provided strategic military leadership that contributed significantly to Ethiopia’s battlefield successes. Like many distinguished military leaders, however, his career was shaped not only by the fortunes of war but also by the complexities of politics. The book illustrates this turning point by recalling the sweeping political changes that followed the Eritrean–Ethiopian war:“Five of the nine members of the TPLF Politburo, including Abay Tsehaye, one of the organization’s founders, as well as the chief commander of the Defense Forces and the Air Force commander, were all removed from their positions shortly thereafter. ” (p. ix)It was within this broader political realignment that Tsadiqan’s military career came to an abrupt end. After twenty-five years of distinguished service spanning both the armed struggle and the ENDF, he retired from the military at a relatively early stage of his life. Yet, the defining chapter of his life was not the manner in which he left military service, but the manner in which he returned. When the recent devastating conflict erupted in Tigray, he set aside the tranquility of retirement and once again answered the call of duty. He could have chosen the safety of private life, remaining a respected veteran and passive observer of history. Instead, he chose solidarity over comfort and sacrifice over personal peace. Standing with his people in their darkest hour, he emerged as one of the principal military strategists of the conflict and, later, as one of the key negotiators of the historic Pretoria Agreement, helping to shape the path toward peace. If there is anything left for Tsadiqan to offer after such immense sacrifices, it is the wisdom distilled from a lifetime of struggle. Through this book, he has chosen to pass that hard-earned experience on to a new generation. While the book incorporates relevant political theories, its most powerful lessons are drawn from the author’s own lived experience: the intricate complexities of politics, the self-centered motives of politicians, the arduous journey of state-building, the burdens of leadership, and the weight of difficult historical choices. What makes Tsadiqan truly exceptional is that he is both a maker of history and a perceptive observer of it—a rare combination. Those who shape history are not always able to interpret it with clarity, just as those who interpret history have rarely lived it. Tsadiqan has done both. Who, then, is better placed to speak on Tigray than one who has lived its history from within? The Amharic proverb,“ማንይናገርየነበረ፣ማንያርዳየቀበረ“(Who can tell the story better than the one who was there, and who can mourn better than the one who buried the deceased?), captures this truth perfectly. No one knows the road better than the traveler. Unpacking the Critique of TPLF and Political CultureThe book’s greatest strength lies in this unique authority. In grappling with the complex political and historical questions of the region, the author seeks to uncover the deeper causes of Tigray’s enduring challenges. One of his central arguments is sharp and uncompromising:“From its inception, the TPLF-led government was not participatory. The system was structured to marginalize competing political parties, autonomous civil associations, heterodox intellectuals, and all Tigrayans who were not integrated into its structures. ” (p. 99)The author contends that the TPLF cultivated a political culture in which the distinction between the party and the people of Tigray became dangerously blurred. Over time, the public was encouraged to perceive the TPLF and the Tigrayan people as one and the same, making criticism of the party appear synonymous with opposition to the interests of Tigray itself. According to the book, this fusion of identities systematically narrowed the political space, discouraged pluralism, and stifled independent thought. Another notable strength of the book is the author’s reflection on Ethiopia’s broader political culture. He highlights how the separation between a ruling party and the state—an essential principle of democratic governance—has often existed only on paper. Utilizing his insider perspective, he argues that the fusion of party and state institutions has historically weakened accountability and institutional independence, creating fertile ground for authoritarian rule. Whether one fully agrees with his conclusions or not, his willingness to confront these structural flaws adds immense courage and analytical value to the narrative. One may reasonably ask whether these political positions were views the author consistently advanced during his time within the EPRDF, or whether they represent conclusions reached through retrospective reflection. The book does not provide a definitive, historically documented answer to this question. What is evident, however, is that these ideas represent his deeply held convictions, articulated consistently throughout the text. Whether maintained in real-time or sharpened by subsequent experience, they offer valuable insight into his political thinking and his interpretation of Ethiopia’s modern trajectory. Room for Deeper DevelopmentBe that as it may, this book is not exhaustive, nor should it be judged as such. Nevertheless, there are areas where the discussion could have been further developed. Specifically, the book would benefit from articulating a clearer, practical roadmap for translating its diagnoses into concrete action. While the text powerfully champions democracy and good governance as the ultimate foundations for Tigray’s future, it offers less guidance on the sequential steps required to transition from current crises to those lofty aspirations. Democracy and good governance are undoubtedly the indispensable pillars of a stable and prosperous society. The real question, however, ishow, when, and in what sequencethese ideals can be pursued under the existential threats Tigray currently faces. From this perspective, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs offers a useful analytical lens. Higher-order aspirations, including meaningful political participation and democratic governance, are far more likely to flourish once basic physiological and safety needs are secured. Applied to Tigray, this suggests that ensuring food security, healthcare, shelter, personal safety, and basic stability must advance alongside—or even temporarily precede—broader democratic reforms. A similar insight was famously articulated by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who observed that“Necessitous men are not free men. ”His point was not to diminish the value of freedom, but to recognize that genuine liberty and democratic participation cannot flourish when citizens are consumed by hunger and the daily struggle for survival. Today, many in Tigray continue to face existential challenges, including mass displacement, severe humanitarian insecurity, unresolved territorial disputes, economic devastation, and the lingering threat of renewed instability. These harsh realities inevitably constrain the environment in which democratic institutions can take root. Thus, humanitarian stabilization and democratic transformation must be viewed not as competing objectives, but as mutually reinforcing stages of the same long-term journey. Furthermore, the structural integration of the book could have been tighter. The chapters were originally written on different occasions—spanning 2008, 2014, and 2016 E. C. —to address the immediate realities of those periods. Consequently, the volume occasionally suffers from minor inconsistencies in tone, context, and perspective. In compiling these essays into a single book, a more thorough revision to harmonize these sections would have sharpened its overall coherence and relevance to the fast-evolving realities of both Tigray and wider Ethiopia. Style, Translation, and Self-ReflectionIt is also worth commenting on the book’s writing style. As Francis Bacon famously observed,“Style is the man. ”Given the richness of the author’s personality and his depth of experience, the book would have benefited from a more polished and engaging prose style, as well as a more compelling title. This limitation may stem from the fact that much of the book was originally written in Tigrinya and subsequently translated into Amharic. Having read the Amharic edition, I suspect that some of the author’s distinctive voice and literary flavor were lost in translation. In several places, the text favors a literal, word-for-word translation over a sense-for-sense approach, which occasionally disrupts the natural flow and elegance of the prose. Additionally, tighter proofreading to eliminate typographical errors and improve paragraph transitions would have elevated the book’s overall quality. Nevertheless, this is a limitation of presentation, not of substance. The intellectual depth, historical insights, and value of the ideas remain fully intact, inviting readers to look beyond stylistic flaws and engage with the author’s profound contributions. Indeed, toward the end of the book, while reflecting on the performance of the Interim Regional Administration of Tigray, the author makes a candid and highly commendable admission of individual and collective responsibility:“…had we developed a comprehensive transition plan and managed the transition process in an organized way, we could have built a more effective system of governance in Tigray. Having failed to do so, each of us is accountable for our responsibilities; as the highest executive authority, Getachew Reda bears the larger share of that responsibility. ” (p. 264)This reflection demonstrates a rare willingness among political actors to critically assess their own roles in times of transition. Yet, history should not judge leaders solely by what they failed to accomplish, but also by what they managed to safeguard under extraordinary duress. The positive contributions made by these figures, both individually and collectively, remain significant. In ConclusionRather than dwelling on missed opportunities, Tsadiqan’s reflections should serve as a blueprint for the future. Tigray stands at a critical historical crossroads where outdated, dogmatic political approaches must give way to institutional strength, pluralism, and a new generation of visionary leaders. In the final analysis, this book deserves to be read with an open and critical mind. It offers invaluable reflections on leadership, governance, war, peace, and decision-making in Ethiopia. It merits the close attention of scholars, policymakers, public intellectuals, and everyone who genuinely cares about the region’s fate—not merely to understand Tigray’s painful past, but to help design a more peaceful, prosperous, and hopeful future. As for the people of Tigray, one thing is certain: we cannot rewrite the chapters of the past. We cannot erase the grief, nor can we undo the immense sacrifices. But the story is far from over. The pen is still in our hands, and we alone must decide how the next chapter will read. May it be a chapter defined not by division, but by reconciliation; not by despair, but by hope; and not by the wounds of yesterday, but by the promise of tomorrow. Temesgen Damtew is a seasoned senior communication officer with an academic background including an MBA and a Master’s degree in Diplomacy & International Relations. He can be reached at:[email protected]. Contributed by Temesgen Damtew