Welkait question

After the fall of communist Derg in 1991, the TPLF government annexed Welkait into Western Tigray and began harassing, deporting, killing, and arresting people identified with Amhara.[3][4][5] At least 5,000 Amharas displaced and hundreds of thousands Tigrayans settled to Welkait.[6] Amhara women reportedly abducted and raped by the TPLF fighters and teachers. In educational institutions and administrative offices, discriminatory practices were common; many people were forced to speak Tigrinya language, and rivers, lakes, mountains, spring and cities were changed from Amharic to Tigrinya. Discriminatory practices were almost 95% at governmental workplaces, where some Tigrayans displaced Amhara farmers and took their land.[6]

In 2015, victims of the displaced Amharas democratically formed Welkait Amhara Identity Question Committee and collected 25,000 signatures from Welkait people. They submitted the signatory letters to zonal, regional and federal offices on 17 December 2015. The result met with ambivalent responses; some argued for identity question while the others related it to border question, the former dealt with zonal level and the later with federal level. Otherwise, the Committee hold it through legitimate claims in accordance with the rule of law. Soon after, the TPLF government began arbitrary arrests and purges against the committee members. In July 2016, most of its members were detained in Gondar and transported to Addis Ababa's Central Prison.[3] Coloniel Demeke Zewdu was one of a victims who rebelled to the soldiers and arrest him at night.[7][8]

Demonstration in Welkait in 2016

As the arbitrary arrests and tortures intensified, Welkait Committee members set off series of protests in Amhara Region, and along with cases in Oromia Region and other regions, large-scale protests were erupted across Ethiopia, calling for justice and democracy.[9] Protestors expressed concern with unequal distribution of power and economic exploitation by TPLF government. The resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn led the release of Col. Demeke Zewdu, who demanded democratic process. After Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power, he met with Welkait Committee members in Goha Hotel, Gondar on 19 April 2018.[3] In the meeting, Abiy pleaded to Tigrayan security force not harass and killing civilians as well as the Welkait question should be peacefully raised under constitution.[10]

Still, the Tigray government continued atrocities around the annexed area. Many Amharas, who speak Amharic language and songs, were beaten, incarcerated and thrown from cliffs to death. In 2019, TPLF made youth group samri held many Amharas from Mai Kadra and summarily executed.[11] Amidst the Tigray War in August 2021, TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda told that TPLF was not ready for national dialogue to end the war and chose rebelling the government by financing several factions in Oromo and Qemant minorities. Contested areas in Western Tigray such as Welkait, Tsegede, Setit and Humera special zone seized by the Amhara Special Force. In May 2021, a reconciliation dialogue held between Amhara and Tigrayan community members, and the Welkait Committee remain stable stance on the issue.[12] According to Hiber Radio, the ENDF military forces withdrew from the area during Amhara Region conference with the Prosperity Party on 16 March 2023.[13]

• Welkait
• 2014–2016 Oromo protests