Mereja.Forum

Welkait has always been one of the most strategic geopolitical hotspots in Ethiopia. More recently, it has become the defining point for the Amhara people, whose identity was erased from the area, and with it, Ethiopia’s territorial integrity. Welkait is the generic name commonly used to refer to a large area in the north-western corner of Ethiopia, which includes the territories of Welkait, Tegede, Telemt, and Humera, which borders Sudan in the west. Welkait, which has been part of the Gondar province historically, is separated from Tigray province by a geographic boundary, the Tekeze river.


n 1991, TPLF annexed the Welkait territory to the Tigray Regional State, and called it West Tigray. Later, in 1995, it tried to legitimize the annexation by introducing Ethiopia’s current constitution, which divided the country into ethnic regions. The opposition from the Amhara inhabitants of Welkait was swift and fierce. They challenged the unjust annexation of their ancestral lands, and they expressed it through an armed struggle called ‘Keffagn’. They also formed a ‘Welkait-Tegede Identity Committee,' and petitioned to regain their rights through constitutional means. However, TPLF managed to delay having to take action on the legitimate claim of these long-time residents of the area by arresting and killing the committee leaders, while stalling the just claims by assigning the task of overseeing such tasks to officials it controlled. The legal case is still pending in the Upper House of the Ethiopian Parliament.

https://www.hornafricainsight.org/post/ ... on-by-tplf

Strategically ,Welqait and Humera appears to be important to Eritrea as are to Amhara and Ethiopia in general. Why? The fundamental reason behind the conspiracy of stealing these territories is to block of Eritrea and Ethiopia being neighbors with the vicious hope of separating Tigray. The most convenient and environmentally comfortable transport line that link Eritrea to the larger Ethiopia is this corridor. The Assab line is convenient for transportation of goods, but not passengers. The Bahir Dar- Gondar Asmara line is very essential in terms of transporting agricultural goods and passengers. This line is very crucial. A lot of people only sees this as an Amhara issue, but it is an issue of greater Ethiopia and Eritrea. I think if the EDF is unable or is hesitant , Amhara region can invite Eritrean army to come to its territory of Humera and Welqait, no country has power over the decision of Amhara Region.