July 15,2016
If you don’t follow Ethiopian politics on regular basis, chances are you probably are not clear as to what the on going clash between ruling party security and people in Gonder in North Western Ethiopia is about.
The above video, which is in Amharic and unfortunately not subtitled, undoubtedly gives you clarity.
Squarely, the question is identity question and also an effort to prevent eviction of Wolqaite people who claim a Gonder identity from their inherited land.
Government didn’t want to handle the legitimate identity question of people in Wolqaite which is well within the framework of constitutional rights. Rather, the effort on the part of the ruling party seem to be discrediting the legal demand by way of painting it as an activity of “terrorism” orchestrated by few individuals.
It is not “few terrorists” ,as you may see in the video above, that are claiming their own true linguistic, cultural and historical identity.
The way the ruling party projected the issue is misleading at least; and could even be dangerous if seen in worst case scenario. The uprising has nothing to do with terrorism.And the committee whom the government is labeling as “terrorist” are duly elected by the people in Wolqaite.
As well, many foreign media with correspondents in Ethiopia seem to be misrepresenting the true nature of the riot.They tend to present is as ethnic clash between Amhara and Tigre which is not the case. The clash is between security forces from Tigray region and residents. It is not about ethnic conflict.
borkena
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