Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London,March 28፡2025 (Tigray Herald)
THE TIGRAY DIASPORA STOOD TALL WHEN THE TIGRAY LEADERS FELL SHORT
By Dr. Teka Neguse
The Tigray diaspora deserves immense recognition and lasting honor for its extraordinary role during the darkest chapter of our history—the genocidal war waged against our people. While the people of Tigray and their leaders were entrenched in a brutal, existential war over the last three years, it was the diaspora who rose with unmatched unity, strength, and conviction to lead the global fight for justice, survival, and truth.
We didn’t wait for orders. We didn’t ask for permission. We acted.
We mobilized without hesitation—through relentless advocacy, global protests, strategic petitions, and bold diplomacy. We engaged tirelessly with powerful global institutions like the EU, AU, UN, and the U.S. State Department and humanitarian organizations, making sure the world heard the cries of Tigray and could not turn away. We gave voice to the voiceless when no one else could.
We worked without rest, without pay. We did what many thought was impossible. We raised over 100 million USD from across the globe and sent it directly to Dr. Debretsion’s administration—believing it would be used to save lives and sustain our people’s survival. But to this day, there has been no transparency, no accountability, and not a single credible update on how that money was used. That silence is not just irresponsible—it is a betrayal of every dollar, every sacrifice, and every hope placed in their hands.
After Pretoria, the Tigray diaspora handed over the struggle—our trust, our achievements, and our resources—to those who claimed to be the rightful leaders of Tigray. We believed they would protect our people and advance our cause through the legal framework of the Pretoria Agreement.
But they failed—deeply, repeatedly, and shamefully.
They abandoned the internally displaced. They ignored the survivors of war. They left mothers searching for the bones of their sons, youth with no future, and mass graves with no justice. They allowed the very criminals who waged war on Tigray to walk free and empowered.
They shattered our unity. They bowed to our worst enemies for the sake of political survival. Isaias Afewerki is one of the most brutal enemies of Tigray and its people—and yet, these so-called leaders now try to work with him. What a shameful betrayal of history and identity. And now, through their influence and networks, they are actively distracting the Tigray diaspora from organizing together to support Tigray. This is not only unacceptable—it is unforgivable.
Instead of building Tigray, they fought each other. Power-hungry. Ego-driven. They are completely detached from the suffering of their people. They crushed our hope. They fractured Tigray.
They dishonored the sacrifices of those who gave their lives to protect our land and people. They betrayed our martyrs by reducing their legacy to political bargaining chips.
Let history be clear: The root of this crisis lies in TPLF’s failure to take collective responsibility. Rather than acknowledging their mistakes and making way for a new generation of educated, ethical, and visionary leadership, they chose to split, to cling to power, and to lead from behind the shadows of past glories.
They are not just failing Tigray—they are endangering its very future.
