There is an interesting article on ethiomedia by former TPLF members Kahsay Berhe and Tesfay Atsbeha.
As I was reading the article, I was thinking of Siye Abraha and the excitement surrounding his decision to join the struggle for democracy in Ethiopia. I respect him and, considering his background and experience, think that he would make a great addition to the cause.
I read that he was confronted with questions of whether he is going to apologize for his days in the TPLF and his disagreement with such suggestions. I understand why he may not want to apologize for simply having been in the TPLF, because the Dergue was a brutal regime and armed struggle seemed to be the only way to get rid of it, and the TPLF at the moment may have appeared the most viable option of doing so for young Tigrayans like Siye. I don't think he should be pressed to apologize for simply having been part of the TPLF. We should, as some suggested, focus on what he says he believes in today and what he does to support that claim, and look to the future.
However, although it may not be fair to demand an apology from Siye for having been part of the TPLF, it is very important to press him on his opinions of what the TPLF did. With all due respect to him, if he is the kind of democracy soldier that he says he has become today and is to be accepted as such, it is very important that he reflects on his years in the TPLF and take a stand. Because the things that happened then as described by the two former members, if they did happen, are quite relevant today! A person's opinion of those acts is a reflection of where one stands today vis a vis democracy. It is a test, a result of which can show whether a person has democracy as a principle or just as a convenient means to get back in the game. As a former ranking official of a group accused of having committed such crimes (when he was part of the group) and as someone who has decided to stand for democracy today, Siye needs to come clean about these accusations against TPLF. He needs to either corroborate or dismiss these charges. If they had actually happened, we need to know his stand. And frankly, if they did happen, I think he should be grateful that apology is all that is demanded from him.
