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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASMARA 000011 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
DEPT FOR AF/E 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV PBTS ET ER
SUBJECT:  TIGRAY PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN ERITREA 
 
ASMARA 00000011  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The anti-TPLF Tigray People's Democratic Movement 
(TPDM) based in Eritrea recently selected a new leader after the 
death of the group's founder.  Eritrean television often commends 
the TPDM for its armed actions against the Ethiopian government, but 
these stories are uncorroborated.  Alleged TPDM attacks over the 
past two years are listed in para 6.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ethiopian ruling party (TPLF) dissidents led by Fiseha 
Hailemariam Tedla (a former senior cadre of the TPLF security) 
established the TPDM in Eritrea in 2001.  Since its inception, the 
TPDM sporadically claimed to carry out attacks inside Ethiopian 
Tigray.  Eritrean state-owned Eri-TV broadcast such claims with 
increased frequency since mid-2006. In January 2008 Fiseha was 
killed in western Eritrea, and in May 2008 the TPDM held its third 
congress and elected new leaders. 
 
TPDM LEADERSHIP 
--------------- 
¶3. (SBU) A knowledgeable non-Eritrean embassy contact believes the 
TPDM's new chairman is a man named Molla.  The contact told Emboff 
that the group strictly guards its leaders' names for fear of 
reprisals against their families in Tigray.  He said the TPDM does 
not recruit recently escaped Ethiopian Tigray soldiers in Eritrea, 
but rather recruits disgruntled Tigray youth from within Ethiopian 
Tigray.  The contact believes the group presently has several 
hundred fighters. 
 
TPDM EXPLOITS TRUMPETED ON ERITREAN TELEVISION 
--------------------------------------------- 
¶4. (SBU) Very little open source information exists on the TPDM, 
other than YouTube videos from Eri-TV broadcasts.  These "news" 
stories show interviews with TPDM fighters and extol the group's 
exploits against the Ethiopian army.  Emboff's cannot corroborate 
any of these attacks.  A well-placed non-Eritrean contact believes 
that although Eri-TV reports on the TPDM's activities are 
exaggerated, the organization is "alive and developing," and has the 
potential to become "a real headache" for the TPLF. 
 
PICTURES OF TPDM FIGHTERS 
------------------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) In early December a western diplomat traveling near 
Barentu photographed a large number of armed men marching along the 
road.  The diplomat's driver said these were not from the Eritrean 
Defense Forces (EDF), but rather TPDM soldiers.  The photograph was 
taken while driving between the ranks of approximately 200 men in 
plain olive uniforms marching in good order along both sides of the 
road.  Most of the soldiers carried wooden stock rifles and typical 
soldiers' kit (canteens, ammo belts, and ruck sacks).  Emboff will 
send the photo via email to INR and AF/E. 
 
¶6.  (U) TPDM ATTACKS REPORTED IN ERITREAN MEDIA 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
January 23, 2007 - TPDM forces killed 70 Ethiopian soldiers on the 
north west zone of Tigray. 
 
January 30, 2007 - TPDM forces killed 125 and wounded 80 Ethiopian 
soldiers from the 14th division in central zone, Mereb Leka district 
at the localities of Kushet Adi, Ukbales, and Araada.  In other 
attacks in Tsimbia, Telebedunand, and Engalan localities the TPDM 
killed twelve and captured seven Ethiopian soldiers. 
 
December 2007 - TPDM forces killed 51 Ethiopian soldiers and 
captured weapons in Mereb Leka. 
 
February 14, 2008 - TPDM forces killed more than 100 Ethiopian 
soldiers. 
 
August 27, 2008 - TPDM forces defeated 35 Ethiopian soldiers during 
ambush at Medri Felasi, in Laelay Adiyabo (northern Ethiopia) 
 
September 5, 2008 - TPDM forces distributed leaflets and magazines 
to residents of Aksum town detailing the group's objectives. 
 
September 5, 2008 - TPDM forces killed eleven Ethiopian soldiers and 
wounded five others in an attack in Mereb Lekhe District (northern 
Ethiopia). 
 
September 11, 2008 - TPDM, EPPF, and Benshangul fighters put 454 
Ethiopian troops out of action. 
 
ASMARA 00000011  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
October 16, 2008 - TPDM and Benshangul fighters put 124 Ethiopian 
troops out of action. 
 
MCMULLEN