Amid increasing tension and fear of confrontation between the Tigray and Amhara regional governments, an opposition figure has made a call for federal government’s intervention to diffuse tension at the frontier area.
The federal government should respond to the Raya people’s questions of identity in accordance with the constitution, Tigray Democratic Coalition Party (TAND) urged.
Several towns in southern Tigray and northern Amhara regions, including Alamata and Kobo, which are inhabited by the Raya people, were tense this week as inhabitants of Kobo town blocked the main Addis Ababa-Mekele road for the fifth-day today, causing traffic and business activities disruption. Residents said they blocked the road to protest the brutal crackdown of the Tigray Liyu Force against Raya people who have been demonstrating demanding for autonomous status in Alamata and Waja towns. Raya activists say the Tigray region security forces continue to crack down on members of the Raya community who advocate for self-rule. Some have been detained; others have disappeared, they say.
The TAND’s deputy head Gidey Zeratsion, who recently returned to Ethiopia after decades of absence in exile, told Addis Zemen, the state-owned Amharic daily, because of hate propaganda preached by certain politicians in both Tigray and Amhara regions for their narrow vision, the Raya people’s legitimate identity questions are not being addressed. “As result, the security situation is deteriorating, thus the federal government has to react in an urgent manner,” he said.
“The demand from the (Raya) people should have been addressed by the two regions but things have unfortunately escalated as issues have gone unheeded. We have reached at a point when one region is blocking the road that connects it to the other one,” Gidey was quoted as saying.
“Our party feel threats and bullying made in both regions streets could serve neither region’s interest,” he said. The question has to be brought to the House of Federation and should get legal response.
“We are particularly asking the Tigray regional government to take the lead in bringing the case of Raya to the federal government,” he said.
Gidey also urged the leaders of the two regions to fight provocation and incitement that could create conflict, rather steer their respective regions towards peace and security.
The Tigray region dismissed the Raya’s demand for autonomy as one made by “those who do errands for hostile region”, implying that the agenda is being pushed by the Amhara region so that the Raya land would be moved the neighbouring Amhara region. However, the Raya Identity committee say that is no true.
TAND, whose leaders Aregawi Berhe and Gidey Zeray, have returned to Ethiopia recently, is trying to strengthen its party structure and garner more followers in the Tigray region after making a preliminary agreement with the already established Arena Tigray, which is part of the Medrek opposition coalition.
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