Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald)
What Holds the Truth to Be Revealed in Tigray?
By Gebre Abreha
The people of Tigray have endured unimaginable pain—not due to their own doing, but because of calculated betrayal by external enemies and, perhaps most painfully, by their own political leadership. A leadership that has become increasingly authoritarian, self-serving, and indifferent to the suffering of those it claims to represent.
There is no wound deeper than seeing a modern version of a feudal ruling class emerge from the very revolution that cost thousands of brave and hopeful Tigrayans their lives. These martyrs died believing they were paving the way for peace, justice, dignity, and democratic self-rule. And yet, those dreams have been derailed by power struggles and clique-based politics, plunging the region into further uncertainty and bloodshed.
The current political, socio-economic, and psychological crisis in Tigray is beyond words. After millennia of rich history, a resilient civilization, and repeated conflict, few could have imagined that systemic oppression would rise not from a foreign enemy—but from within. And even fewer could have anticipated the horror of genocide.
Even now, the pain continues.
Citizens are still being abducted, tortured, and silenced. People are living in constant fear. The psychological toll is immense. The oppressive machinery of Tigrayan leadership continues to operate, often hidden behind deceptive narratives—spread both locally and globally—about unity, resistance, and dignity.
But those narratives conceal a darker truth: many of our people are emotionally broken, silenced, and abandoned. Mothers mourn not only the dead and disappeared, but also the youth who flee in hopelessness, victims of illegal migration, systemic corruption, and lawlessness. War propaganda, from both internal and external actors, continues to rob them of any remaining hope.
Even the diaspora—once a voice of strength—is paralyzed. Too often distracted by localized agendas and internal rivalries, many have failed to prioritize what truly matters: the people. The wounds of Tigray cannot be healed through silence or selective outrage. As Nelson Mandela said, “If you’re not honest with yourself, you will not be honest with your community.”
If we are not speaking about what matters most—if we cannot center the people of Tigray, rebuild trust, and demand transparency and accountability—then we are not being honest. And dishonesty only fuels further division.
What Tigray needs now is clarity of purpose, unity of values, and moral courage.
We must come together to create a collective roadmap—one that prevents future crises, empowers the people, and restores diplomacy and justice. This cannot be done through empty slogans or factional maneuvering. It requires real dialogue, inclusive leadership, and the political maturity to set aside ego for the survival and dignity of the people.
I call for a robust and open discussion—whether in person, online, or across diasporic platforms. The truth must be told. Our people deserve better. Tigray deserves better.
We must remember: whether we take sides or remain silent, both can lead to fragmentation. But to stand with the truth—no matter how painful—is to stand with the people. It must also be said clearly: any support for genocidal alliances, past or present, is not only a betrayal—it is an act of treason against the very soul of Tigray.
Let us rise. Let us speak. Let us rebuild. Together.
