Welkait question

[2] During Abiy Ahmed administration, the Tigray and Welkait Committee counterparts held peaceful talks in Gondar on 19 April 2018.

[7] Donald Levine, an American professor who recognizes Welkait as Tigrayan.Maps and books written long before TPLF's claim to power provide evidence of the Tigrayan majority in the area.

The book "Class Struggle and the Problem in Eritrea", written by the Kenyan politician Peter Anyang' Nyong'o in 1979, proves the same.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, two of the world's most respected Non-Governmental Organizations both wrote articles expressing their concerns about the events.

Amnesty International stated: "newly-appointed officials in Western Tigray and security forces from the neighbouring Amhara region, with the acquiescence and possible participation of Ethiopian federal forces, systematically expelled several hundred thousand Tigrayan civilians from their homes using threats, unlawful killings, sexual violence, mass arbitrary detention, pillage, forcible transfer, and the denial of humanitarian assistance.

[8] The article states that when the mass expulsions in Welkait started, majority of Tigrayans left, however the ones that stayed hid in their homes.

After the Derg collapse, the TPLF annexed Welkait into Western Tigray and began harassing, deporting, killing, and arresting people identified with Amhara.

After Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power, he met with Welkait Committee members in Goha Hotel, Gondar on 19 April 2018.

[3] In the meeting, Abiy pleaded to Tigrayan security force not harass and killing civilians as well as the Welkait question should be peacefully raised under constitution.

In May 2021, a reconciliation dialogue held between Amhara and Tigrayan community members, and the Welkait Committee remain stable stance on the issue.

[16] According to Hiber Radio, the ENDF military forces withdrew from the area during Amhara Region conference with the Prosperity Party on 16 March 2023.

Welkait within Western Tigray Zone
Data proving the majority ethnicity of Welkait is Tigrayan
Image from 1978 about the linguistic status of Welkait proving that it is Tigrayan
19th-century ethnic map from Ghent University, Belgium, depicting northern Ethiopia. In this map, Welkait is identified as ethnically Tigrayan.
Donald N. Levine , an American professor who recognizes Welkait as Tigrayan land.