Other anti-government political movements also became more active in their operations in the different parts of the country. The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Party (EPRP) had been weakened by 1978 because of the Red Terror, internal problems and conflicts between it and other movements such as the TPLF. In Tigray the EPRP-TPLF conflict was resolved with the victory of the latter in 1978. One wing of the EPRP moved from Tigray and continued to operate from Quarra in Gondar. In late 1980s the EPRP was able to extend its zone of operation to some of the localities of western Gondar and western Gojjam.
In south western Ethiopia the Oromo Liberation Front (O.L.F.) which had earlier made its zone of operation in the lowland areas of Assossa, western Wellega and Gambella was able to move towards the highland area in the late 1980s. On the other hand. the Benishangul Liberation Movement (BLM) established to defend the rights of the Benishangul people had earlier limited itself to the Ethio-Sudanese border. In the late 1980s supported by the Sudanese government the movement was able to operate in some parts of Gambella.
Violent political movements in eastern Ethiopia also became active in the late 1980s. The eastern wing of the OLF and Islamic Front for the Liberation of Oromo (IFLO) had not been able to make significant advances earlier. Later, however, favored by the redeployment of government forces from the region for the war effort in Tigray and Eritrea they intensified their guerrilla activities. In some cases these forces launched conventional attacks over government battalions and extended their territorial control.
In the Ogaden region the Somali backed Western Somalia Liberation Front (WSLF) had been effectively weakened by the 1977/78 counter-offensives of the Ethiopian government. But in the late 1980s it started to revive its activities. In the north-east the Afar Liberation Front (ALF), was effectively neutralized by government forces in 1975, but was becoming active in the late 1980s.
1988 was indeed the period of multi-directional tension to the military government. But the most decisive challenge was apparently the elevated scale of war in Eritrea and Tigray.
THE STATE OF EMERGENCY
The escalating war in Eritrea and Tigray in 1988 left the military government with one more card to play: declaration of levy en masse to the war effort. On 31 March 1988 Colonel Mengistu officially declared to the public that the protracted war in Eritrea and Tigray was so expensive that the annual financial cost incurred on it could have been allotted to the construction of a considerable number of major educational and health institutions and infrastructural development of the country. He also stated that the existing huge military machine was not sufficient to deal with the problem. The colonel then concluded his speech with the usual slogan of his government “from now on everything to the battle front.”
On 14 May 1988 the government declared a state of emergency over the two regions. Accordingly, the two regions were put under what the government called “Overall Administration”. Two of the most notorious polit-bureau members of the Workers Party of Ethiopia—Legesse Asfaw /Sergeant-tured-Captain/ and Tesfaye Gebre Kidan (Lt. General)—were posted to be “overall administrators” of Tigray and Eritrea respectively. The two were accountable only to Colonel Mengistu, the president. These “overall administrators” were offered “unlimited” power within their respective regions.
Following the declaration of the state of emergency in Tigray the government established another huge army, the Third Revolutionary Army (TRA). Its main components were the 603rd, 604th and 605th core armies. The 603rd core army made its center at Bahr Dar and its zone of operation included Gondar and Gojjam regions. The 605th Core Army made Dessie its center and its zone of operation was Wello. The third but the main force of the TRA, the 604th Core Army, with its center at Mekelle was deployed to deal with the TPLF forces in Tigray. Major-general Mulatu Nagash was assigned to be Commander-in-Chief of the TRA.
The TRA was organized in a way to be controlled and commanded by Mengistu Haile Mariam and Legesse Asfaw. Not surprisingly therefore, both its formation and operations initially excluded the involvement of even the most entitled senior staff of the Ministry of National Defense. In light of this the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Major-General Merid Negussie had the following to say in his confidential report to the government:
We were able to know about the TRA only when we received copies of reports sent to superior body with respect to developments or completion of the campaign.
As mentioned above we started to see things related to campaign after the TRA made an offensive operation towards Tsa’eda Medri and returned with great losses.
In terms of its manpower composition the TRA consisted of 26,520 regular troops, 32,171 national servicemen of the 1st to 5th batches and 16,802 militia men. These were eventually reinforced by considerable numbers of troops lifted from the central and southern parts of the country.
GOVERNMENT’S EARLIER COUNTER OFFENSIVE
The government counter-offensive against the TPLF forces which had blockaded the Dessie-Makelle road started on 5 May 1988 from two directions. The 9th Army Division which had been shipped from Massawa to Assab and brought through Dessie attacked TPLF forces from the southern direction. The 3rd Army Division, which had been air-lifted from Asmara to Mekelle launched an offensive operation from the opposite direction. After a fierce battle of six days government forces were able to regain control over the town of Korem and open the Dessie-Mekelle road.
On 22 June 1988 the military government of Ethiopia clearly demonstrated, in an unprecedented manner, its most barbaric and savage policy towards civilians living in the zones of military operation, that is, “drain the sea in order to catch the fish”. In a series of concerted sorties involving helicopters and MiG fighters and bombers the airforce conducted an indiscriminate aerial bombardment on the town ofHousien. Housien, located in north eastern Tigray is known to be an important marketplace for several thousands of people coming from the different administrative regions in the north. The aerial destruction of Housien took place when several thousands of people were gathered for the market day on Wednesday.
The destruction of Housien provided those who escaped death narrowly and who happened to be able bodied with only one alternative-join the TPLF and fight against the government with determination. Others who saw the ruins of Housien as filmed by the TPLF fighters after the incident also fled in large numbers to join the struggle under the leadership of the TPLF. … continued on page 4