No, TPLF is not TIGRAY: A Case of Ethiopian Airlines

Part One: Leave and Never Come Back!

Three years ago—on July 3, 2015, around 10:50 AM—a few (and I stress, a few) connected, mafia-like members of the TPLF operating within the state-owned Ethiopian Airlines still considered themselves above the law.

That day, they used a fabricated “security concern” and a vague accusation of “political tendencies” as a cover for their real motive: ethnic profiling. They sent security officers to my office at the Aviation Academy and literally forced me out, saying only, “Leave”—with the unspoken but clear message: “And never come back.”

And I never did.

To an outsider, especially someone unfamiliar with the inner workings of the airline, this may sound unfathomable. How could a civilian airline allow a political group to carry out mafia-style operations against its own employees? But I was not alone. Many before and after me have faced similar intimidation and injustice.

While these individuals acted under the banner of the TPLF, I want to make it clear: for me, Tigray had nothing to do with this. It was the mafia—the corrupt circle within the TPLF—that had everything to do with it.

So why did they do it?

Because they wanted to install someone they deemed "more Ethiopian" than I was—simply because he was a TPLF member. The irony? This person was not only unqualified, but also had zero aviation experience.

This may sound bizarre, especially coming from an internationally respected airline. You might wonder why they didn’t even bother to fabricate a believable reason, as they often had in the past when firing others. But back then, they believed they were untouchable—arrogantly confident that they could do anything without consequence.

That day, they sent in security to intimidate and eject me. I doubt they ever imagined how quickly times would change.

Context: The Farce of “Security Risk”

To understand the root of this “security risk” label, I must go back to an executive management meeting in April 2015. The Airline’s top leaders, including the CEO, Ato Tewolde, were present. At his invitation, I addressed questions on the state of quality in the Aviation Academy. Impressed by the discussion, the CEO approved five new positions in the Training Quality and Safety Assurance Section, where I was acting manager.

Following that decision, I began searching for qualified internal candidates in line with company policy.

Unbeknownst to me, the TPLF-linked mafia had already earmarked those positions for their external candidates—individuals they had handpicked, who had no aviation experience but were politically connected.

The HR manager (a key member of this group) and the security director bypassed my section entirely and claimed to have conducted interviews. I later learned that some candidates were already undergoing medical checks before I had even reviewed applications. Meanwhile, I was continuing the internal recruitment process, seeking the right aviation professionals from within the company.

When the internal vacancy was announced, the mafia group was furious. The HR manager bombarded me with emails demanding I stop the process, as they had already selected their people from outside.

Imagine this: I was looking for a pilot, a cabin crew member, an aircraft technician, and a marketing professional—with real safety and quality assurance experience in aviation. The mafia’s candidate was an unqualified individual looking for a high-paying job with none of the required credentials.

Tigray didn’t do this. The TPLF mafia did.

Standing Firm Against Corruption

I told the HR manager that if they wanted to hire the unqualified external candidate so badly, they should find another position elsewhere. I had specific needs and had already found applicants with the right expertise. One of them was a senior auditor with over 15 years of experience.

That’s when the intimidation machine kicked into full gear.

Suddenly, people I once thought were friends were reporting on my private conversations to security, as though I had “hidden motives.” Even harmless initiatives like launching a Toastmasters Club—intended to help staff and trainees improve communication and leadership—were labeled as suspicious “neo-liberal movements” and blocked. Yes, in an international airline, such ignorance prevailed—because the mafia group believed they were above the law.

Then came pressure from my superiors. They called me into their offices and advised me to “apologize” to the HR manager—the same HR manager who had sent emails claiming the qualifications set by the company were irrelevant and insisting I accept her candidate based on his “analytical skills.” I was even told he was an aide to a government minister, and my refusal could be seen as resistance.

I understood their fear—but I refused. Being a minister’s aide didn’t qualify someone for an aviation position. I continued the proper recruitment process with the designated team, interviewed the right candidates, and selected the most qualified one.

That’s when the mafia began claiming I had ulterior motives.

Tigray didn’t do this. The TPLF mafia did.

The Day They Came for Me

A month later, I successfully filled one of the positions—with a qualified aircraft technician who had over 10 years of auditing experience.

On July 3, I was attending an ACE Management meeting. After the session, I walked to my office on the first floor of the administrative building. I was informed that security was waiting for me at the Managing Director’s office.

I walked in.

The fearful look on the Managing Director’s face said it all. Two security officers sat beside him.

“You are under investigation. From this moment on, leave your office,” they said. When I turned to my boss and asked, “What investigation?” he simply replied, “Do as they said.”

So I left.

They quickly seized my office computer for their so-called investigation.

Within a week, they installed another TPLF member in my position. But that wasn’t enough. They started interviewing my colleagues, hoping to fabricate a non-existent crime to justify their actions.

Through all of this, I never saw the will of the Tigrayan people. What I saw was a mafia group calling itself TPLF, acting with absolute impunity.