The Tigray Peoples Liberation Front is a party that was created in the 1970’s and is the power house of the ruling coalition EPRDF that has been in power since the overthrow of the Derg almost 26 years ago. Since its inception the TPLF’s ideology has been anti- Ethiopian and anti-orthodox which are the two main fabrics that is holding the country together. The TPLF’s hate emanates from the belief that the Tigray people as a minority have been subjugated and discriminated against by the Amhara people who had been ruling the country in the previous centuries. While the TPLF does not give concrete evidence of any documented history that Amhara have subjugating the Tigray people specifically for their race. In fact we see time and time again that the two races cooperated in many instances historically with trade and fighting off common enemies.  These unsubstantiated claims are perhaps propaganda that is used by the TPLF to gain power and to gain the support of the Tigray people.

The TPLF since its inception has desired complete control of the country and its resources and has determined that the Ethiopian Orthodox church and the Muslim community would be a threat to their ruling of the country and has been planning the infiltration and complete destruction of these prominent establishments that are the very fabric of Ethiopianism. To accomplish this aim, the TPLF members Meles Zenawi, Sibhat Nega and others set their eyes on the biggest Orthodox monastery in Ethiopia, the Waldeba Monastery.