The attack against Arena officials is an attack against all

I am really shocked to learn that Abraha Desta and his colleagues have been attacked.  I have attacked Abraha many times; ideally. I have written some articles bitterly opposing his ideas. I still do oppose him whenever I feel that he is breaching some untouchable social discourses.

There are some revered ideologies that I believe should be respected both by the ruling party and the opposition camp - Ideologies that were founded by the blood of our veterans. I feel that sometimes, he and his colleagues are breaching them. That’s why I am opposing them, as well as I do oppose the ruling party. Not out of hatred or out of any personal grudge - But merely out of genuine social concern.

 However, Physical attack is by any means intolerable, unbearable and unendurable. Even if Arena officials committed a serious crime, no one has the right to attack them physically - even the police have none! The police can only arrest them, detain them legally. Only the law can punish them if they committed any legally punishable crimes not individuals. Never ever!

 If peaceful opposition figures can be attacked on a broad daylight, then our 17 years bitter struggle is totally hijacked. Our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts...have died for nothing! They didn't die for equality and justice. They didn’t die to liberate Tigray and its atrociously oppressed and manipulated people. They didn't die a heroic death; rather they died a dog's death.

If Abraha and his colleagues were really physically attacked, I don’t consider it as an attack of three individuals. Our justice system is severely attacked. It was a brutality against our 17 years revolution. It was a tramp down over the graves of our heroes and heroines. It was not your right that was aggressed; rather the right of the people of Tigray. I was attacked! Tigray was attacked. It was a serious blow on the head of TPLF as well.

TPLF must say sorry officially. Even if those who attacked Arena officials are not related to TPLF by any means, the party is still responsible for not protecting those (Arena officials). The police are there to protect public safety. The main task of the party is to protect the wale fare of citizens. If the rights of citizens are breached on broad day light, the regional government isn’t doing what it is supposed to do.

What has gone wrong with TPLF? Where have the deep rooted principles of TPLF veterans gone? Even during the struggle, attacking sundered Dergue soldiers was forbidden, let alone peaceful opposition figures. TPLF fighters were well known for giving the highest priority to human dignity - Even when their very life was at risk.

Dergue soldiers were non hesitant to give in to TPLF fighters; knowing that their life could never be endangered in the hands of TPLF fighters. It was common for a single Dergue soldier to give in more than three times during the struggle. That was how TPLF made devoted friends out of sworn enemies. That was how TPLF defeated EDU, EPRP, Jebha and Dergue - All of them one after the other. That was one of the reasons why TPLF came out a shining victorious.

So, where have our heroes and heroines gone? Who took their humility, their respect for all including enemies, their politeness but strong arguments, their unshakable stand (even during war times and while battling with their enemies) towards human dignity? Where is their selfless generosity? Where have my fighters gone? All buried with them in the gorges, fields and mountains of Tigray?

I missed them like anything else. I missed them so much. I missed their calling me “Manjus” – baby, putting me on their laps while feeding me bread and tea(their breakfast share!), calling my mom “Adey” - mother, calling my father “Aboy” – father. They way they used to call us were different. They smile genuinely; they struck your heart with some kind of unique affection. I had no idea the weapon they used to carry could now be directed towards civilians.

No! They were meant to wipe away our tears, to heal our incurable scars, to comfort particularly the grieving Tigrayan and Ethiopian mothers as a whole.That’s why I fume when anyone speaks ill of them. That’s why I revered them and always miss them so much.

I missed their uncombed Afro, I missed their unshaven beard, I missed their tight shorts. All of them were true indications of their bravery, ingenuity and genuinely selfless freedom fighter hood.   

I missed the way they dress. Their “Gembale”, their “Kushuf” – jersey. Wow! They used to look like angels my granny used to tell me about. They have never been outlaws. They were liberators indeed. Where have they all gone now? The attacks now I heard about, the injustices, corruption, and mal administration now being committed are, I think, being committed against them.

 

Therefore, I can take the attack against Arena officials was meant to keep TPLF in power. It is rather a war waged to overthrow the party. In fact not only against TPLF but also against the bed rock of principles our veterans fought for 17 years. It was a war against all of us.