Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
Tigray: A Nation in Mourning, A People in Need of Healing
Written Tekie Hagos
Tigray is a land draped in sorrow. Every family, every household, and every community has suffered unimaginable loss. From the elderly to the youngest children, no one has been untouched by the horrors of war. The grief is personal and collective. Some mourn silently, others openly; some have lost loved ones to violence, others to hunger, displacement, or the cruelty of war. But the pain is shared—it is the fabric of a nation traumatized, yet still standing.
This mourning is not just for the lives lost, but for the innocence stolen, the dreams deferred, the homes destroyed, and the dignity stripped away. Tigrayans are grieving differently, but they are all affected the same. Trauma has seeped into the soul of the people, manifesting in fear, in silence, in anguish, and in an aching hope that something better may come.
In this moment of immense sorrow and uncertainty, the responsibility of the Tigrayan elites—political leaders, intellectuals, military figures, and diaspora influencers—has never been more critical. They are called not to deepen divisions or chase power, but to rise above narrow interests and create a unity of purpose. They must be the bridge between pain and healing, between despair and hope.
Tigray does not need competing egos or conflicting visions. It needs leadership that listens to the cries of the grieving, understands the suffering of the displaced, and is committed to rebuilding—not just infrastructure, but the very soul of the nation. Stabilizing the situation, ensuring the safe return of internally displaced persons, protecting territorial integrity, and securing justice must be the shared goals.
Mapping the way forward requires humility, wisdom, and moral clarity. It demands honest dialogue, reconciliation, and a shared commitment to the long-term survival and dignity of the people.
If the elites fail to shoulder this responsibility—if they allow personal ambition or factionalism to override the needs of the people—history will judge them harshly. And more tragically, the people of Tigray, who have already borne too much, will suffer yet again.
This is a defining moment. The world is watching. The people are watching. And posterity will remember. Will the elites honor the sacrifices made and lead with compassion and unity? Or will they be remembered as those who failed their people in their darkest hour?
The answer will shape the future of Tigray.
