The campaign against Tigrai is being formalized by all levels of Ethiopian governments

Reporter Interview with Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael
Tigrai Online, June 15, 2019

For your convenience and so you can share your opinion we posted below a snippet from an interview conducted by the Ethiopian Reporter with Tigrai state Deputy President, Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael published today June 15, 2019. We also included direct link to the whole interview at the end of this page.

The destiny of Tigrai will be determined only by the people of Tigrai!!!Anlysis by the Tigrai Online.

Here is the partial interview:

When moving around the region, we observed that there is this feeling of being pushed away and being isolated by the current administration. Those we spoke to in Tigray told us that the current administration is attacking Tigreans. What do you say about this?

Well it is an open secret. We have seen media houses both from regional states like the Amhara Mass Media Agency as well as those at the federal level targeting Tigryans. They labeled the past 27 years as the “age of darkness”. All positive developments done during those years were overshadowed by this narrative and people from Tigray were blamed for it.

We also believe that both top and lower level officials are intentionally targeted just because they are ethnic Tigreans. So, currently, there is this campaign and propaganda targeting Tigreans.

For instance, if we mentioned the case of Brig. Gen. Kinfe (Dagnew) [former Director General of METEC], we were the ones who agreed to hand him over to the federal government. However, the way he was treated later on was unacceptable. This was done because he is from Tigray.

We see a former military officer, who defected with many of his soldiers to Cairo; being received and applauded at the airport where as a general who served his country was shamed and embarrassed. Not only that, there were a number of officials who were selectively removed from their jobs as well as arrested just because they are from Tigray. All in all, those things are bizarre for me.

They also accused the TPLF or Tigray whenever there is any incident in the country.

We have tried to share our concerns to the federal government as well as the Amhara Regional State.

Now we seen the campaign against Tigray is being formalized. For instance, the House of Federation just recently said that Tigray was more beneficial in terms of road infrastructure. We see those campaigns and propaganda targeting Tigray being formalized.

So, if the government continues to do that, there is no reason for us to continue working with such kind of government unless otherwise they fix the problem. Not only that, this will have a grave consequence and the country will dismantle.

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After seeing all this, people are frustrated and the dominant thinking is why we should continue to work with such government.

So are you saying that the people want to secede from Ethiopia?

Yes, there is a growing feeling among the public. It is only us who are saying that we shouldn’t resort to such feelings. We, as the regional government, are telling our people that those problems will be solved and we are telling them to be patient. However, the pressure from the public is different.

People even tell me that I shouldn’t go for meetings to Addis Ababa. All those things pushed the people to the edge. They feel hopeless and are saying that we should secede from Ethiopia.

Please follow this link to read the whole interview By Ethiopian Reporter English Reporter Interview with Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD)

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