Welkait

Welkait (also spelled Wolkait or Wolqayt) is a woreda in Western Zone, Tigray Region. This woreda is bordered to the north by Humera and to the south by Tsegede. It is bordered on the east by the North West Zone; the woredas of Tahtay Adiyabo and Asgede Tsimbla lie to the north-east, on the other side of the Tekezé River, and Tselemti to the east. The administrative center of Welkait is Addi Remets; other towns in the woreda include Mai'gaba and Awura. Welkait question Following the fall of the communist Derg regime and ascension to power of the Tigray People's Liberation Front, the region was unilaterally annexed into the Tigray Region in Ethiopia by the TPLF. It is believed this annexation was for geopolitical purposes with the primary goal of obtaining a direct border with Sudan. The TPLF also annexed areas from the other regions in the country for similar purposes. Efforts to integrate Welkait into Tigray were widespread and systematic, including the expulsion and intimidation of the majority Amhara population and the re-naming of cities, rivers, mountains, and other landmarks from their original Amharic to Tigrigna. Over the past two years of conflict in Northern Ethiopia, Welkait was reintegrated back into its historic borders and is currently administered as part of the Amhara Region. Welkait is known for its fertile alluvial soil, which grows cash crops such sesame, cotton and also sorghum. The ethnic make up of the region is widely disputed. Documentation shows that following the annexation of the area into the Tigray region, a mass effort was undertaken to re-populate the area with a majority Tigray ethnic migrants while displacing the local Amhara population. Various steps were taken to dramatically change the demographic make up of the region including, a change to the official language for regional administration and teaching in public schools to Tigrigna and repossession of land from the majority Amhara farming population. Notably, records going back into the 1980’s show that the region was populated predominantly by ethnic Amhara.