1 Forceful Annexation, Violation of Human Rights and Silent genocide: A Quest for Identity and Geographic Restoration of Wolkait-Tegede, Gondar, Amhara, Ethiopia By: Achamyeleh Tamiru 1. Introduction Ethiopian history has been studied and written by both foreign and local scholars for many centuries. Some of the writers were purely scholars while others were travelers documenting their trip experiences. These writers have extensively defined the boundaries of the many administrations, languages, cultures, traditions, faiths and other characteristics of Ethiopia. These factual documentations were especially true of Northern Ethiopia. It's also essential to note that these historical documentations were done in several European languages as well as Amharic and Geez. One of the many areas described by writers ever since the 14th century is the area surrounding the Tekeze River and the people of Ethiopia on both sides of the 4th largest river in Ethiopia. One of the notable regions and the interest of this article is the locality and the people of Wolkait-Tegede in historical Gondar, Ethiopia. Historical documents and maps dated from about 1434 to 1991 show that Wolkait-Tegede were pars of the Gondar province of Amhara. Despite the availability of a mountain of evidence to support this fact however, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) has annexed the Wolkait-Tegede region into historical Tigray region in 1991. In fact during its bush days, it was in 1979 when TPLF entered Wolkait-Tegede and declared the land as part of its newly coming “Greater Republic of Tigray”. In other words, to bring it to today's Ethiopian reality, a region in Amhara Federal State is transferred to Tigray Federal State by force. In the process of annexation, the identity, history and cultural make up of Wolkait-Tegede has been taken away, re-written and utterly decimated by TPLF and its state machine. This historical atrocity has been perpetuated against Wolkait-Tegede for nearly four decades as the grand scheme of TPLF to control the area dates back to its early days of the armed struggle. 2. Historical Background and Where We Are Now Modern Ethiopia had fourteen provinces including Eritrea until 1991. One of the provinces is Gondar—which is located in northwest Ethiopia. Tigray and Wollo to the east, Eritrea to the North, Gojjam province to the south and the country of Sudan in the west border Gondar. 2 Wolkait-Tegede are the indigenous people in the province of Gondar owning a rich culture, language, history, land and other societal values of the larger Amhara people in Ethiopia. In 1975, TPLF has begun its armed struggle in Tigray against the military Derg government. As a Communist separatist movement, TPLF's main objective was the liberation and creation of a country of the Great Republic Tigray. It clearly states in its 1976 manifesto that TPLF is struggling against the Amhara people. Due to its remoteness and proximity to the province of Tigray, it was inevitable for TPLF to venture into Wolkait-Tegede for supplies, access to the Sudan and refuge from Derg's military forays. During the armed struggle, TPLF had benefited a great deal from the region and was cognizant of the importance of the region for all the natural resources nature bestowed upon it. Thus, the design to annex the area to the future “Greater Republic of Tigray” was conceived early on and for numerous reasons. In 1991, TPLF-led government took state power in Ethiopia. It immediately introduced new administrative regions of the country by doing away the pre-1991 set up. When the new Federal State arrangement was unveiled, Tigray Federal State has grown exponentially taking away areas from Gondar and Wollo provinces. Tigray now has boundary with Sudan and Eritrea—a new country since 1993. Gondar was incorporated with Amhara Federal State and was buffered from international boundaries with neither Sudan nor Eritrea. Therefore, by denying Gondar international boundary with Eritrea, the Amhara Federal State is denied direct access with Eritrea. It's unclear whether or not the Government of Eritrea is acquiesced to this arrangement with TPLF at the time of the liberation struggle or during the hay-days before the 1998 Ethio-Eritrea war. TPLF has never ceased its attack against the Amhara people; in fact, with the national resources at its disposal, it systematically and unashamedly continued its Anti-Amhara agenda in the entire country. Many instances could be presented. However, on a regional focus, the Amharic speaking areas contiguous to Tigray State have been recipients of the brunt of the atrocities. One of the methods used by TPLF to erode away Amhara identities is the dislocation of Amharas from the area and settling thousands of former TPLF fighters from arid and infertile lands of Tigray to the more fertile land of Wolkait-Tegede region. It took steps to change the administrative language of the area, started producing documents and stories to inculcate the "Tigrayness" of Wolkait. In nearly four decades, TPLF has been working on this agenda. Nonetheless, the people of Wolkait didn't sit idle. Many have made it clear that their identity is Amhara and they belong to the today’s state of Amhara. Four months ago, fifty thousand Wolkait Amharas had 3 petitioned seeking protection from involuntary forced provincial annexation asserting their identity and for their land to be restored back to the Amhara region where they belong and filed their complaint to the House of the Federation, Ethiopia’s Upper House. In the great reality of Ethiopia, the Amhara Federal State is also controlled by TPLF. However, the longing of the people of Wolkait is to at least not being cut off from their Amhara brothers and sisters of Gondar (and beyond) for historical and cultural reasons. The response from TPLF is death, incarceration and more suppression. The representatives of the Wolkait people and Wolkait activists who have been campaigning to assert their identity and for their land to be restored back to the Amhara region have been killed and imprisoned 1 As the national struggle by all Ethiopians is intensifying, the people of Wolkait are continuing their demands of the restoration of their Amhara identity and be integrated to their home province. Therefore, it is essential to make note that the question of Wolkait-Tegede needs to be seen in the over Ethiopian context of arbitrary boundary demarcation for political or other superficial reasons. The struggle of Wolkait is a struggle for liberty, justice, human rights, cultural preservation and economic opportunities. 3. Historical Evidence of Wolkait-Tegede Identity As mentioned in the introduction, there are numerous historical evidences of where Wolkait is located, to whom it belonged, and other details by many writers and historical figures. These individuals wrote and professed what they knew and observed. The European writers, especially, never thought what they wrote decades or even centuries ago would become historical evidence in 21st century minority political scheming. The writers had no axe to grind. Evidently, without knowing it, they had lent important support for the Wolkait people claiming Amhara identity and administration restoration. Now let’s see some of the notable evidences written and spoken by both foreigners and Ethiopian personalities presenting the boundary and identity of Amhara in general and Wolkait in particular. Emperor Zarayakob of the 14th Ethiopia reunited most powerful kings of his time. He was born in Fetegar, in the current Oromia region near the Awash River. He was married to the daughter of the king of Hadiya. 1 The list of names of the deceased will be found in the appendix of this article. 4 He was coroneted as the emperor of Ethiopia when he was 37. He left behind a lot of accomplishment of his reign. In addition to ruling his country, he was directly involved in writing many books. In addition, other church scholars have written many books. One of these books written is called the “Book of Axum”. Chief of Axum St. Marry Church has written the book. “Book of Axum” detailed the 14th century provinces of Ethiopia. This book is best noted as not only providing the names of provinces and the history of the time but also the borders of the provinces of Ethiopia by then2. In the book, the provinces and the borders of the 14th century Tigray, with the center at Axum, are describes as follows: 2 Carlo Conti Rossini. Liber Axumae. Book of Axum. Responsibility: Edidit [et interpretatus est] K. Conti Rossini. Parisiis, E Typographeo Reipublicae, 1909-10. 5 From this, it is clear that Wolkait-Tegede is not part of the 14th century Tigray. In addition 3 to this, Yohannes K. Mekonnen in his book “Ethiopia : the land, its people, History th and Culture, he described the provinces of the 14 century Tigray as: ”…The Book of Axum.. Shows a traditional schematic map of Tigray with its city Axum at its center surrounded by the thirteen principal provinces: Tembein, Shire, Seraye, Hamasen, Bur, Sama, Agame, Amba Senait, Geralta, enderta, Sahart and Abergele.” Among the nineteenth century notable foreign writers about northern Ethiopia is Walter Chichele Plowden4 who traveled as a missionary in 1848 and wrote the book “Travels in Abyssinia and the Galla Country: With an Account of a Mission to Ras Ali in 1848”. According to Plowden, by then, the region of Tigray consisted of all Christian regions North of the Tekeze River5. The sub-divisions were Hamasen, Saraye, Akale guzay, Agame, Tigray proper, Shire, Adiabo, Temben, Inderta, Woggerat and Silalo. The writer clearly wrote that the river Tekeze is the line separating the Tigray province and Gondar where the people of Wolkait are located.