Welkait Ethiopia

Welkait Humera Tsegede is a flash point in northern Ethiopia. Since yesterday, a public discussion, led by the zone’s chief administrator Ashete Demlew and security chief Colonel Demeke Zewdu, has been ongoing in Adi Remets city of Welkait. The administrator Ashete Demlew in his address said that he would protect the unity of Ethiopia by protecting Wolkayit Humera Tsegede zone from intruders. The zone’s security chief Colonel Demeke Zewdu warned the people to stand firm in their identity and not to back down.

Welkait Humera Tsegede zone is disputed between the Tigray and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. Before the start of war in Northern Ethiopia in November 2020, the zone was being administered by the Tigray region. Immediately after the broke out, Amhara forces supported by Ethiopian federal forces and Eritrean military took over the zone. Since then, the zone has been under Amhara provisional government. Federal forces are also deployed in the area. While Eritrean military has withdrawn to its side of the border. The war in northern Ethiopia ended in November 2022 when Tigray People’s Liberation Front and Ethiopian federal government signed Pretoria Peace Deal.

The Pretoria peace deal is silent about the future status of disputed territories. It only states that dialogue will be held to solve border and identity related issues.

Western Zone (Welkait Humera Tsegede), Tselemti and southern zone (Raya Alamata, Korem, Ofla, Zata, Chercher etc) are contested by both the Tigray and Amhara regional states of Ethiopia. Last month Amhara provisional administration in southern zone was dismantled and Tigray forces took control of large parts of the zone.

The Amhara administration in western zone fears that Tigray forces, backed by federal forces, plan to enter western zone too. Therefore, the Amhara provisional administration led by Eshete Demlew and Colonel Demeke Zewdu is holding meetings with people in order to mobilize them.

Interestingly, earlier this month, Tigray military commander General Tadesse Werede, claimed that Tigray authorities and federal forces had agreed to solve the issue of Welkait Humera Tsegede by the end of first week of July 2024.

It would be interesting to see if Amhara provisional government in western zone would agree to be dismantled? Tens of thousands of IDPs, mainly Tigrayans displaced during war, are expected to return to Welkait Humera Tsegede from Tigray cities in coming months.

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3 thoughts on “Welkait Chief & Colonel Demeke Hold Key Meetings with People”
  1. “Tens of thousands of IDPs, mainly Tigrayans displaced during war, are expected to return to Welkait Humera Tsegede from Tigray cities in coming months.”

    Don’t reduce the numbers when you already know it’s close to a million IDPs.
    Would it hurt writing the truth? “Hundreds of thousands” it’s a huge difference between “Tens of thousands” and “Hundreds of thousands”

      1. Write “hundreds of thousands” because that is the truth. Not “tend of thousands”.

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