Mekelle,Narobi,Pretoria,London, March ፡9፡2025 (Tigray Herald)
Urgent Call to Action: The Tragedy of Tigray’s Youth Fleeing for Survival
By Dr Teka Neguse
Tigray is facing an unprecedented crisis—not just from external enemies but from internal failures that have left our people with no hope. Our youth, the backbone of Tigray, are leaving in desperation, risking their lives in the treacherous journey across the sea to reach Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia. Many do not survive the journey. Just recently, another small boat sank, claiming the lives of our brothers and sisters—many from Raya Azebo, a land so fertile that it can yield three harvests a year. Yet, because of the absence of peace, justice, and fair governance, our people see no future at home.
Tigray’s Leaders: Will You Continue to Ignore This Crisis?
For those in leadership, this ongoing tragedy seems to mean nothing. Their priorities are political power, personal gains, and endless meetings, while the people they claim to represent are drowning in the sea, dying in deserts, or living in unimaginable suffering. Instead of addressing the root causes of this mass exodus—land grabs by so-called “investors” who exploit resources without developing Tigray, and a chaotic, fragmented administration where even Mekelle has two competing mayors—leaders have chosen silence and inaction.
Worse still, there are now disturbing reports that some leaders are engaging in dangerous political maneuvering, attempting to collaborate with Eritrea’s dictator, Isaias Afwerki—the very man who massacred our people, raped our mothers and sisters, and destroyed Tigray’s infrastructure. How can any Tigray leader even entertain such an alliance while our land remains occupied, our people remain displaced, and our wounds remain unhealed?
Four Critical Questions for Immediate Action
- What message do we, as Tegaru, need to send to Tigray’s leaders who have closed their ears to the cries of the people?
We must make it clear: enough is enough. Tigray’s people will not accept corrupt, self-serving leadership that prioritizes power struggles over the lives of our youth. Leaders must govern with accountability, integrity, and transparency—or step aside.
- How can the Tigray diaspora reach the youth in Tigray and warn them about the deadly journey to Arab countries?
We must launch targeted awareness campaigns through social media, community organizations, and direct outreach to young people in Tigray.
We need to expose the harsh realities of migration—the brutality of traffickers, the dangers of the journey, and the suffering awaiting them in foreign lands.
We must also offer them alternatives: education, skills training, and opportunities that give them a reason to hope and stay in Tigray.
- Can Tigray’s media outlets step up and play a more effective role in reaching our youth?
Yes. Tigray’s media must stop being platforms for endless political debates and instead focus on urgent issues like youth migration.
Organize global discussions, feature testimonies from survivors of these deadly journeys, and mobilize the diaspora to create emergency support networks.
- What pressure can the Tigray diaspora apply on both Tigray’s leadership and the Ethiopian government to stop this mass exodus?
We must use every international platform—advocacy groups, human rights organizations, and diplomatic channels—to highlight the crisis.
Pressure must be applied on Tigray’s leadership to prioritize governance reforms and economic recovery instead of power struggles.
We must demand that land grabs be reversed and genuine investments be made to create jobs for Tigray’s youth.
A Message to TDF Leadership and Political Leaders
The people of Tigray will not remain silent. The instability, the division, and the reckless power struggles must end. The people demand peace, not another war. They demand justice, not corruption. They demand a leadership that serves them, not one that serves itself.
TDF leaders must remember: they are not the rulers of Tigray. They are the protectors of its people. If they continue to undermine the future of young Tegaru, the people will not forgive them.
Now is the time to act. Tigray cannot afford to lose another generation to the sea, the desert, or hopelessness. Let this message be a wake-up call—before it is too late.
