By Teka
Tigrai Online , August 17, 2019
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed open up the highway
It has now been almost more than a year since the highway linking Amara region to Tigray region via Woldia closed. It is safe to say that the closure of this road has brought some hardship to the people living on both sides, and especially to the people of Tigray. But it is also safe to say that this horrendous act from the chauvinist wing of the Amara region had also damaged somehow the economic development of Tigray region.
However, more than anything, the inexcusable damage that is going to remain as long as these two people exist is the psychological and historical one. Paradoxically, the side that cries “One Ethiopia” is the one that has been engaged on highway closings. This act of extreme hate only comes from one’s certified and historical enemy. The Tigray people would have never imagined that their south brethren would do such thing to hurt them and ultimately eradicate them from the face of this earth
Sometime in the 70s, despite every effort and plea by the TPLF, the then EPLF decided to refuse entry of urgently needed food assistance to the hungry people in Tigray. This act of cruelty has not been forgotten by the people of Tigray. We may have forgiven SheAbia for their evil deed, but we will never forget it. We are still telling this cowardly act to our kids so that they are aware of who they are dealing with.
Now, after so many years, we witnessed this devilish act of closing the main highway with the intention of paralyzing the state of Tigray. The worst part is not that the road was closed by some thugs hell-bent to destroy us as a people. The worst and saddest part is that the very Federal Government that owns the highway and was supposed to ensure that the highways are safe and no such foolish act is conducted by anyone is doing nothing about it. The Prime Minister has been seen from time to time shedding his crocodile tears and pretending that he is doing something about it with some tepid statements. This makes him a conscious accomplice. History is not going to be kind to him for everything that he did to punish Tegarus.
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So, those who deafen our ears with your stupid slogan “One Ethiopia”, do you think we are going to buy your lazy sale on “Unity” when you are trying to purposely starve us? Stop your hypocrite cry for “Emiye Ethiopia”, for Emiye Ethiopia was not supposed to treat a Tigraway as a foster child.
There is a saying in Amharic that goes more or less like “ Tirfu tizbt enji, chubes sew Aygodam”. Yes indeed, now we know who we are living with. The fact that the highway has been closed for this long has not hurt us to the extent that you thought it would. Unlike you who spend your valuable time killing each other and wasting your time shouting empty slogans, life goes on with or without the highway in Tigray. Unlike you, Tigray is doing even better.
I always thought that you would know the people of Tigray and its determination to fight any obstacle and triumph at any cost. No, you still have not learned that lesson yet, you will never learn!
Again, we may forgive you for attempting to chock us unsuccessfully, but we will never ever forget it. We will tell our kids, grand kids, grand-grandkids, and our gran-gran-grandkids what you did to us throughout our history. Our kids will be proud of us when they learn that we still survived and thrived. They will be honored to be called Tegarus; it will be a badge of honor to be born from that heroic and yet kind people. They will walk with their heads up knowing so well that the land they are living in is made possible with blood of their brave fathers and forefathers. They will write songs to remember our generation because we would have left them a land of freedom with dignity, a land to be proud of, a land with proud past, a past no one would be ashamed of. We will leave them a legacy of honesty, a legacy of hard work, determination, perseverance and resilience. They will have plenty stories of heroism and bravery to tell their kids and grandkids.
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Yours, however, will be ashamed to learn that you did this to us, to your own countrymen. They will be ashamed when they have no story to tell like a Tigraway would. Yours will be wondering how a Tigraway survived all this hostility and still thrived. Your kids will ask you why you closed the highway to your own brothers, you will have no answers. Your kids will wonder how come their neighbors are this kind and forgiving after all you did to them, you will have no answers. Yes indeed, you will have no answers!!!!
In the 70s, EPLF refused to let emergency food to the Tigray people that so desperately needed it. Our people however did not perish, it flourished. You closed the highway hoping that we would perish; we are still thriving and will outlive you.
“Tirfu Tizibt Enji, Chubes Sew Aygodam!!!”
We will forgive you because we have the heart of a lion, we will never forget it because we have a brain that never forgets like a kind dolphin’s!!
Mr. Prime Minister, please open up this road!!!
