A Tribute to “our” Freedom Fighters: Even today the country owes them a debt of gratitude
Zekarias Ezra 2-18-19
As our Tigray (Tigrai) brothers and sisters celebrate the 44 th Anniversary of the founding of TPLF, it is incumbent on the living, us, to pay tribute to the gallant freedom fighters of TPLF, the dead and the living, for the selfless sacrifices they have made to uproot the Derge dictatorial regime. We don’t have to be from the Tigray ethnic group to call them ‘our’ freedom fighters. They were ours because they were our brothers and sisters, and they were the once who liberated us from the yoke of the brutal regime of the Derge. In time memories fade, as they are now, and others for their own political agenda try to denigrate the victory and, in the process, we quickly forget the horror of the Derge regime. Of course, the enumerable human rights violations and looting that has occurred during the last 27 years of TPLF/EPRDF rule did not help either. In fact, it has admittedly left indelible dark spot on the noble and heroic struggle of TPLF. Regardless, though, we cannot, and we must not choose to forget. Thus, we should have the decency to see through it and admit that those tens of thousands of Tigray youth did not fight and die so a few among them establish a system of government whereby they and their sycophants illicitly enrich themselves and commit untold atrocities on their Ethiopian brothers and sisters. No, a hundred times no, they have not shed their blood for this to happen. Those freedom fighters fought with just one focus- to see a free Ethiopia. So, we, all Ethiopians, should always acknowledge their sacrifices and be proud to call them our own and pay the respect and the tribute so deservedly due to them. Take a trip down the memory lane. The right to be or not to be part of a political outfit or ideology or the right to organize in any way or form did not come on a silver platter, neither was it a reward of mere utterances of preparedness "to die for our motherland country". Thousands of Tigray youth and their supportive masses alike, paid the ultimate price by dying and not just promising to die as some dullards do today in front of beaming camera lights, yet when death, real death, and glares at them they flee even though no one is pursuing them. Ironically, when TPLF/EPRDF betrayed the noble cause these youth have died for through the mismanagement of political power, another group of determined youth, our Oromo and Amhara brothers and sisters, rose up and have paid in their life so, once again, the Ethiopian people determine their fate on their own without railroaded by self-appointed cunning politicians. As you read this today, I ask you to spare a moment for the brave sons and daughters of Ethiopia, who put their lives, limbs and blood on the relentless blade of the dictator’s machinery of brutality and plunder to make sure we will have freedom
