Short commentary on VOA Amharic and Leul Mengesha Seyoum.

The other day a friend of mine told me Leul Mengesha was a guest at VOA Amharic. The friend told me Leul Mengesha told the VOA journalist that Tsegede/Wolqayit was not part of Tigrai. For a moment I was taken back by Leul’s comment but asked my friend, you know what, was he talking about the old Ethiopia where Ethiopia was administered based on “Teqlay Gizat” concept?

True, in the old Ethiopia, boundaries between states was changing in different times at the whim of the Negus/King. So no surprise Leul was witnessing to VOA Amharic that Tsegede/Wolqayit was administered as part of Begimider.

 Today’s Ethiopia is comprised of Kilils/Regions. Regional boundary is primarily determined by language and cultural belongings of the people. In this case I am sure Leul Megesha was not saying the people of Wolqayit and Tsegede are not Tigrigna speaking Tigreasns. However I could not fathom why leul chose to speak on this issue this time! What good outcome was he expecting from his witnessing?

 Many people think VOA Amharic is on a mission to tarnish EPRDF government.  I could not agree more! How else do you explain VOA Amahric selective news coverage of issues? Did they cover the Qimant issue in Amhara Kilil like they covered the Tsegede/Wolqayit issue?

Are the VOA-Amharic journalist ignorant of how the new Ethiopia is reorganized? Don’t they know the new Tigrai region boundary is not based on or an extension of the old feudal system? The old Tigrai  Leul Mengesha administered as a governor may not have included Tsegede/Wolqayit but  who said the new Tigrai includes all the land and people the old Tigrai used to include! There are many people and a huge land mass that were transferred from Tigrai to Afar and Amhara kilil due to the federal arrangement that is primarily based on language and other cultural identities!

Zeru Hagos 02-29-16