It was born in 1977 as a splinter group from Goukouni Oueddei's People's Armed Forces (FAP), and originally assumed the name of Third Liberation Army of the FROLINAT.
The formation originated from the expulsion of Aboubakar Abdel Rahmane from the Comité Militaire Interarmées Provisoire (CMIAP) of the FAP: he had protested against the bias in favour of the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti and the neglect in which the Kanem region was kept.
In 1978 it became internationally known when it took as hostages two young Europeans who were travelling in the region; the action caused an outcry to which all other factions participated, bringing in short to the release of the prisoners, especially thanks to the intermediation of Nigeria.
The first three invited, Félix Malloum, Hissène Habré, Goukouni, were obvious, as they represented respectively the government and the countries two greatest militias (FAN and FAP); but Abdel Rahmane led only a very minor force, even he had tried to swell it by recruiting among the criminal element of N'Djamena, thing that is said to have acquired the MPLT a solid reputation for looting.
On April 29 a Transitional Government of National Unity (GUNT) took its place, and an MPLT man, Lol Mahamat Choua, became president, through heavy interferences from Nigeria.