Tigray Will Rise, Shine and Make another History

Part I: Leave TPLF Alone!! Mind Your Own Business!!

G. Amare, June 20, 2020

First, I would like to make a disclosure that I have no affiliation to any political party, organization, or any material interest for writing this piece.

This piece briefly describes the complex challenges that Tigray is currently confronting with. It has two parts. Part one: Leave TPLF Alone, Mind Your Own Business, briefly narrates the intrinsic characteristics and values of Tigrayans’ struggles vis-à-vis the natural-born naysayers’ in genuine and dishonest love for Tigray. Part two describes the multifaceted impacts of COVID-19 and discusses some issues related to the 2020 election in relation to political parties’ policies versus cry foul (which has become a common norm in Ethiopian election).

By now, I believe everyone, with a rational mind, would have a clear understanding that PP and affiliates are sets of puppets & prats, collected together and being hired for meeting one or more of the requirements that included but not limited to a well-founded 27 years of  experience in manufacturing and distributing fake news and lies against TPLF; served as propagandists and hate sowers against Tigrayans ; have directly or indirectly got  involved in or supported the call for genocide against  the people of Tigray; have engaged in stirring up conflicts and mass displacements; have prior history of demotion from their responsibility due to incompetency or history of imprisonment due to corruption allegation; have a strong interest, support and dream to reinstate and re-impose the unitary government system and thus have a strong hate to the language based federal system.

The worst of all, some of the individuals who currently serving as advisors of the PM are famous for myopically opposing any TPLF/EPRDF’s developmental initiatives by betraying and conspiring against Ethiopia’s interest, for example, the inception and implementation of the grand renaissance dam project.

Thanks to the brave Tigrayans who selflessly sacrificed their precious lives and wits in quest for justice and freedom. They have journeyed through all the ups and downs, without giving up to any inconceivable circumstances of hardships and d ifficulties . First to sedulously fight against the unitary and dictator government system and its political machineries. Then, to confront with Ethiopia’s deeply rooted poverty while simultaneously dealing with the good for nothing but fulltime hate sowers and spewers; manufacturers and distributors of fake, malicious and inflammatory information; naysayers to and distractors of any developmental initiatives and policies; and betrayers of Ethiopia’s political, economic and social interests.

Throughout history Tigrayans have made series of selfless struggles to defend and maintain their history, value and tradition, one struggle occurring after another and each requiring to stand firm in one spirit and with their unbreakable unities to fiercely and subtly fight against self-willed enemies. Take, just as examples, the De’ki’ke Estifanos, the first Woyane, and the second Woyane out of the numerous documented and renowned struggles. These three struggles had occurred at different eras but they have common and typical characteristics such as integrity, resilience and resistance of the people to sustain difficulties, physical disfigurements and mental stresses, and selfless determinations for a cause. Generations of Tigrayans come and go but their patriotism, invincible courage and great fortitude perpetuate from generation to generation bearing resemblance to predecessors.

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success Achieved.”-Helen Keller.

The 17-year struggle (aka the second Woyane) is one of the famed struggles to be accounted for. Though the journey is painful to recall, the end result is rewarding and the most glorious victory of all time. It is greatly acknowledged, praised, and documented to be historic because it made a seemingly impossible condition possible: overturned the ingrained social injustice and inequalities that existed for over a century. The struggle crashed the bulwark of the unitary government structure and freed the people of the nations and nationalities from dictators’ yoke. And it has reconstituted Ethiopia by creating a language based federal structure and by formulating a new constitution that has granted the people their right to enjoy the benefits of political power and self-rule.

That is not all! The 17-year struggle served as a source of competition and positive motivation to plan and implement radical policies, programs and developmental initiatives applicable to the Ethiopian situation. It has prepared and empowered the people of the nations and nationalities to assume more challenging responsibilities; offered them the opportunity to perform meaningful projects; and enabled citizens, at all level, to get involved in empirical decision makings.

Thanks again to all who have taken part in the 17-year Woyane history. Nothing hindered these fighters from continuing their struggle. Immediately after dismantling the unitary government structure, TPLF/EPRDF has prepared itself to start a new fight. This time around against Ethiopia’s number one enemy- extensively and deeply rooted poverty.  TPLF/EPRDF has initiated and formulated projects and implemented policies tailored to fit the Ethiopian situation.

It is not the intention of this piece to describe all the success stories of the past 27 years because they have been documented, discussed, and communicated several times by different politicians and scholars at national and international levels. Just to say in short, the outcomes of the 17-year struggle have exceeded anyone’s expectation by any standard measures and brought Ethiopia to a rank of one of the progressing countries in the world, changing its bad and dark image: the image of famine and poverty.

Of note, the process was not seamless. Multi-fronted and complicated challenges and obstacles have been encountered. The depth of poverty, social, economic and political backwardness have been deeply rooted, extensive, multidimensional and difficult to deal with. The detraction and non-stop destructive propagandas from the n atural- born naysayers have been among the worst obstacles and barriers. These n atural- born naysayers have invested and used their resources to work against every policy, project, and infrastructure constructions of the TPLF/EPRDF led government.

These n atural- born naysayers have contributed nothing but served as inimical and antagonistic to any developmental initiatives. They rightly meet the role of human factor in development described by Gunnar Myrdal. In his foreword to Kusum Nair’s Blossoms in the Dust , Gunnar Myrdal describes, “the human factor in development has of paramount importance: People’s attitudes to work and life, hardened by stagnation, isolation and poverty, and underpinned by tradition and often by religion, are frequently found to be inimical to change of any kind.”

T he natural-born naysayers on one hand conspire, propagate and call for carrying out ethnic cleansing and intentionally confuse their followers by saying that they love Tigray but TPLF. It is an irony for one to preach that they love Tigray and pretend to portray Tigray as the backbone of Ethiopia’s history while they are continuously engaged in spewing and sowing hate against its people. To me this doesn’t make sense and the argument just doesn’t hold water. The position these natural-born naysayers hold and the discourse they continue to preach are of complete arrogance and ignorance.

They pretend to have the concern that TPLF’s rule is of no benefit but serving as an oppressor of the Tigray People. They say, TPLF failed to fulfil the basic needs of the Tigray people in regards to freedom of speech and let the people to live under undemocratic environment and suffering from socio-economic problems. To this end, they openly, ashamedly and consistently are sabotaging and conspiring to separate TPLF from its constituents.

For the sake of argument, let us assume the natural-born naysayers’ claim to be genuine and true that they love Tigray and Tigray is the backbone of Ethiopia’s history. The question that should come to anyone’s mind is what constitutes Tigray? To my view, Tigray is composed of the people and its physical characteristics. The people are described using their history, language, and culture. The people are also the ones who possess the legitimate power of self-administration, the right to self-determination, and the authority to elect and remove officials and representatives when the time is due and when deemed necessary. Physical characteristics on the other hand are a description of the landforms that include but not limited to rivers, mountains, canyons, valleys, lakes and boundaries.

So, if one is claiming to have love for Tigray, they should have love to both the people and the physical characteristics. It is illogical to love one while hating the other. T here is neither Tigray without the people nor the physical characteristics without the people. As it is commonly said, “Love Me, Love My Dogs .” Otherwise, this is a mere wishful thinking and implying ownership of Tigray’s historical and cultural possessions and its physical characteristics, by subjugating, assimilating, and disenfranchising or if possible, by decimating the people. This had been also the case during the Eritrean struggle for freedom. This same group of individuals who are now currently claiming to be friends of the Eritrean government and conspiring against TPLF, used to say, “let them (Eritreans) go but they should surrender Assab (the port) to Ethiopia.” This tells noting but this people didn’t have any love to the Eritrean people but only their physical characteristics. So, the fake love they pretend to have for Tigray doesn’t make any sense. All I say is give me a break !

The Tigray people are smart enough and rational to know what their problems are and how and when to decide whether or not TPLF is bad or good to them. Tigrayans are not saying TPLF is a perfect party. However, they are practicing the basic rules of democracy to allow TPLF to stay in power as a legitimate party until the election period notwithstanding all its weaknesses and wrongdoings. So, please mind your business and stop meddling. Leave the TPLF vs the Tigray people argument to the people of Tigray. Whether TPLF is bad or good is the concern of Tigrayans only.

Otherwise, with the exceptions of a few who are hostile, insignificant, immoral and greedy individuals, the great majority of the Tigrayans are very well aware of their past mistakes and conscious of the outdated tricks and tactics of the ill-intended political manipulations designed to create differences and crack the unity of Tigrayans. So, as the saying goes, “ fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me .”

The people of Tigray have struggled, died and paid all kinds of sacrifices with the purpose to earn justice, equality and self-rule. The Tigray people are continuously paying all kinds of prices to maintain what they have achieved after the 17-year bitter struggle. However, it is sad that there are a few who have stood against such a noble struggle being blinded to see the threat and danger that the majority of the Tigrayans are seeing. Based on what are being mouthed off these individuals, there is no doubt that they have aligned themselves with die-hard enemies- PP and affiliates-of the Tigray people. It is an open secret that they are serving as stooges, hired to work in a project designed with a clear intention and determination to restore and reinstate a unitary system by destroying the hard-earned federal system and constitution.

For now, these stooges seem to be in a state of euphoria and bubbling up being motivated by money. What doesn’t cross their mind is the fact that money is a hygienic motivator that only plays a maintenance role. It doesn’t result in positive satisfactions. In fact, money may end up in more dissatisfaction when the source dries up and as need grows and changes from time to time. What produces positive/permanent motivation is recognition for meaningful achievement, responsibility and opportunity. These give positive satisfactions and produce afterglow effects which arise from intrinsic conditions and drive long term engagement and create memorable and emotional connections.

Now these stooges, jointly with Tigray’s die-hard enemies, are fully engaged in discrediting, blackmailing and decimating TPLF and the people of Tigray. They are sleepless, covertly and overtly conspiring, and carelessly and recklessly distributing false information and fake news to create chaos and jeopardize the peace in Tigray and turn into a dysfunctional state. However, without any single doubt, what they are doing is a futile attempt and will not bear any fruit because Tigrayans are getting stronger and more and more united as they clearly understand the sabotages, conspiracies and the dire consequences.

What all Tigrayans should realize is the fact that it is expected for outliers and variants to exist in any walk of life. The remedy is to remain vigilant to seriously scrutinize and identify outliers and take appropriate measures when observed and before their actions escalate into potentially catastrophic consequences.

Now, the status quo justifies the fact that PP and its affiliates will continue dreaming to destroy TPLF by willfully defaming, blackmailing, discrediting and damaging the image of TPLF and the people of Tigray and by designing projects to destabilize Tigray employing fake news and provocative videos and fabricated films until the Ethiopian trashed them away along with their amateurish and incompetent political games. Keep in mind this, "When the dogs bark, the camels just keep walking."

Tigray, nonetheless , will rise, shine and make another history. G enerations of Tigrayans come and go but their patriotism, firmness, invincible courage and great fortitude perpetuate from generation to generation. The Tigrayans’ intrinsic values of Integrity (t he quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and moral uprightness; the state of being whole and undivided); Resilienc e (toughness and the capacity to sustain and recover quickly from difficulties) and Resistance (the ability not to be affected by something) ; and Selfless Determinations for a cause; and their being Considerate to other (showing careful thought, careful not to cause inconvenience) will continue to prevail and triumph.

Stay tuned for part 2.