Introduction

For operational purposes the TPLF divided Tigray into three sections: region one, which encompassed the western portion of the province; region two in the centre; and region three in the east. In western Tigray the TPLF first began its struggle and competed with rebel elements of the old regime who also selected this area in which to launch their insurrection. Both movements were attracted by the western region's isolation and weak links to established authority. After beginning their operations in the west, the TPLF quickly moved to Agame awardja in the northern part of the eastern region. The Front's immediate objectives in this region were two-fold: first, to challenge the EPRP which had established a base in the area, and secondly, to meet demands from land-hungry peasants for land reform. From there the TPLF pursued operations in the central region, which is the historical heartland of Tigray, possesses more than half of the province's population, and was a stronghold of the aristocracy and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

This chapter begins with the launch of the TPLF's insurrection in 1975 and ends in 1978 with the Front's victory over its major competitors for leadership of the anti-Derg opposition in Tigray. Before the TPLF was to have much impact in Tigray the Derg's reforms, and the means by which they were introduced, had largely alienated peasants and left them receptive to the appeal of opposition groups.