Herman Cohen Says Ethiopian Forces Winning Despite TPLF’s Military Strength

Mr. Cohen recommends the continuation of TPLF ethnic-based administration after the defeat of TPLF

Borkena

November 17, 2020

Days after propagating about the “battle-hardened” strength of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) Mr. Herman Cohen, Former Ambassador, Asst. Secretary of State, is now saying that TPLF is losing the war.

In a Twitter message on Tuesday, he said “In spite of the TPLF’s military strength, the Ethiopian government is now marching on Mekelle. If Abiy gains control of Tigray, it would mark a return to strong central rule in #Ethiopia, as it existed while the TPLF was in power for 29 years.”

Yet he went on to recommend perpetuation of TPLF devised ethnic-based federation in Ethiopia.

“Best solution for #Ethiopia is a truly decentralized federal system, in which Ethiopia remains unified but each ethnic nation has the self-determination they desire. If Abiy wins militarily, international community should still press for this outcome through political dialogue,” he said.

Mr. Cohen was a key man at the 1991 London conference which was called to broker peace between three rebel groups then (one of them was Oromo Liberation Front and is still a rebel group operating from within Ethiopia) and Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam’s government which collapsed in May 1991.

He tends to have a critical view of Abiy Ahmed’s administration. In a Twitter message on Monday, he remarked Abiy “is determined to bring all of “Ethiopia under his authoritarian control.”

Many Ethiopians tend to see Mr. Cohen as a Godfather of the TPLF administration in Ethiopia. Mr., Cohen recently published a book entitled “US Policy Toward Africa: Eight Decades of Realpolitik, is now available.”