“Nothing can separate the people of Amhara and Tigray, ” a key message from the Amhara-Tigray discussion forum.
borkena
December 26, 2019
No ethnic-based war between Tigray and Amhara is recorded in Ethiopian history. All that is known is the power struggle between feudal lords as was the case in different parts of Ethiopia. Because the power struggle in history, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, was primarily based on regionalism. Just like there was a power struggle between Shoa and Gonder, Wollo and Shewa, between Shewa and Gojjam, there was a power struggle between Tigray and Gonder or Shoa and Tigray.
Since Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) started the struggle for power the narrative changed fundamentally. Political elites from the organization painted a picture of the past where Tigreans, and other Ethiopians, were oppressed by Amhara – the Euphemism they used is Neftegna.
This propaganda was sustained throughout the 27 years rule of TPLF between 1991 and 2018.
When TPLF leaders lost power after the ruling coalition elected Abiy Ahmed as prime minister, all the key figures retreated to Tigray.
Something else happened too. The ruling coalition that TPLF crafted as a tool to maintain power, EPRDF, abandoned TPLF born political ideology, and merged itself to form a single party called Prosperity Party. TPLF not only rejected the new party but also it is creating an image as if an imminent danger is hovering on the people of Tigray.
There have been concerns that there could even be a war between Tigray and Amhara region as TPLF appeared to prepare for war and agitate people it Tigray for it. For that reason, there have been forums organized to discuss these concerns.
In November of this year, among others, intellectuals from Amhara and Tigray region organized a meeting to discuss various topics about ways of strengthening the relationship of people from these regions. There were peace forum in Mekelle in 2018,too.
Today , Amhara-Tigray Discussion Forum, is organized in Addis Ababa; this time a government ministry is involved as an organizing actor.
The forum was organized with the objective “Let’s resolve internal problems through dialogue so as to strengthen our multinational unity.”
It was organized by the Ministry of Peace, a ministry with a powerful mandate and legal authority in the country, in cooperation with Prison Fellowship Ethiopia.
Elders, senior government officials and community members from all walks of life have participated in the discussion, as reported by Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC).
Among dominant issues that emerged during the discussion is that Amhara-Tigray people have a lot of things that bind them together than those who separate them.
State Minister in the Ministry of Peace, Almaz Mekonen, said not only people from the two regions are interrelated culturally, linguistically and religiously, they also have a history of unity from the point of view of building the Ethiopian nation and protecting it. Nothing can separate Amhara-Tigray people, she said.
She also pointed out that there is no problem between the people from the two regions of Ethiopia at this point.
However, it was noted in the discussion that the problem is between opportunist politicians and activists from the two regions.
Part of the reason that necessitated the discussion forum is not to give those problems between politicians and activists a chance to negatively affect the relationship between people in Tigray and Amhara regions.
Seen from that trajectory, the discussion also seems to have an objective to resolve problems even among politicians and activists.
The Council of Elders, which includes notable figures like Haile Gebreselassie, among others, expressed the view that Amhara and Tigray people have lived together in peace and love, and have contributed immensely to the unity of the country.
Elders also called on mass media, intellectuals, and activists to refrain from practices that aggravate differences and rather work on common values.
Last week, a similar forum was organized in Addis Ababa with the aim to tackle ethnic-based clashes between Amhara and Oromo. But this one was a forum between political parties operating in these regions.
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Subject: “{Amhara-Tigray discussion forum sees people from two regions as one with shared history, borkena, December 26, 2019″
Short and humble commentary, 26 Dec 2019
At the risk of simplifying the subject matter, I sincerely believe that the sociological problem discussed in the Article lies upon one sentence paragraph:
Quote: ” However, it was noted in the discussion that the problem is between opportunist politicians and activists from the two regions.” Unquote
In my simplicity, I honestly believe that the problem in Ethiopia — and for that matter in the entire beloved Continent of Africa — rests squarely on indigenous opportunists to aggrandize themselves without an iota of concern for the pure hearted ordinary African. In short, we are witnessing — and have been for a very long period of time — indigenous robbery, far crueler than European Colonialists. I am sorry. But it is my honest opinion. THE END
Very encouraging news and effort indeed!!! It is about time dialogue. The elders are the ultimate savior of that gem of the colored. It has been that way until ‘cultural revolutionists’ of Das Kapital came on the scene began tearing apart this blessed tradition always effective in diffusing tensions between communities such as this one. This pow-wow deserves nothing but a deafening round of applause!!!! Godspeed!!!
The first paragraph in this article should be thought to every student in Ethiopia. Unfortunately, the current generation has been brainwashed into thinking that Ethiopian politics is Tigre vs Amhara vs Oromo. It has never been like that until 1991.
Yihen edegifalew. Ahun yebelete ke tplf wede base, kemaytawek hailoch ityooian wey atfito wey bada behone neger maninetin atfito yemegzat be odp /odp enemies tetekmo bada neger bewech hail yemimera eyetaye niw. Yih malet, erasu tplf odp wist yelem malet aydelem, weyem befelefluachew cadrewoch yelum malet aydelem. Ityooianetu yemiyamin hulu kuch bilo mederader alebet. Yih malet ende ityooiawi endemininorew endeneberew gin, bedemokraciawi meseret mehon alebet. Yih endayhon tsinfegnoch yewech akrari /bewech hail angolu yetatebe meriwoch yihen bemetekem, wede akratinet ageritun wesdo wey yemegzat wey yemegentel yimeslal. Lemin, hedo hedo ageritu adegegna ashebariwoch ej sathon atikerim. Lezih niw, odp mengist awko negerochin debzez yemiyadergew mulu lemulu siltan wesdo wede megenetatel weyem demokrasiawi balhone menged yihonal mengist bewech sir eskehonech dires.
TPLF live and breath to destroy amhara whom they see as their enemy. they regard their enemity towards the amhara as the basis of their struggle. The first line of their political manifesto reads, amhara is the enemy of tigrai people . They set out their objective as being the destruction of the amhara.
This narrative has consumed the existence of tplf. Millions of amharas have died , been displaced, removed from the political and economic life of the country, removed from their ancestral lands and their land taken over by tplf in the last 27 years. Today in Wolkayit-Tegede, Telemt , Humera and such places which tplf have occupied by forcefully displacing and massacring the local amhara population, the situation of the remaining amhara population is the same as it has been in the last 27 years. without addressing such human misery and trajedy how is it possible to move forward? these are questions that will never go away. Justice is needed.
You need to refrain from repeating what TPLF wants. TPLF is the brain child of Shabia so tplf=shabia. They came up with anti amara sentiment 60 years ago in foreign country through Jebha (Islamic front supported by Egypt) Esayas became the second agent against Ethiopia/Amara. Shabia knows to affect Ethiopioa by itself is not going to work, through the help of its foreigners, brought tplf/olf by his side and brainwashed them. Today it has been successful because it wasn’t challenged after Derg and we are seeing the fruit. If Ethiopia or even Amara can’t challenge the Liberation Fronts, how can you expect Tigrayans who are tiny to challenge and made to be enemies of Ethiopia?
Minas and boge,bogusly bojaja
you are truly defending amhara and its political agenda of “”tigrayim, oromom yegna” yikrta”hulum yegna minnesotam yegna since amhara people sold by Mililink for westerners arrived at minnesota and made US great again.”Unquote
So , We mahra people are evrywhere and truly rule the world. We could simply say, we are the best and unique people on earth, said neftegna…….I am sorry. But it is my honest opinion. THE END
Rezen
, PHD holder uniquely awarded to me sorry. It is my opinion.
Hey troll, what you are saying is not even clear. Stop copying other people’s nick name too,,typical criminal tendency
Why are TPLF hiding out in Mekele when we got all ethnicities except Amara on our side? Let it all be known Tigrai people Liberation Front are more wellcomed than Abiy in many parts of Ethiopia. Abiy got chased out of Ambo while TPLF is welcomed in every parts of Ethiopia, maybe except for parts of Gondar and Gojam TPLF is welcomed.
Marda,
San Fran , Cali