Talk:Western Zone, Tigray

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just modified 2 external links on Mi'irabawi Zone. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
*Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120805184429/http://www.geohive.com/cntry/ethiopia.aspx to http://www.geohive.com/cntry/ethiopia.aspx
*Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20101114010300/http://www.csa.gov.et/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=275&format=raw&Itemid=521 to http://www.csa.gov.et/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=275&format=raw&Itemid=521
When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.
Cheers.—InternetArchiveBot (Report bug) 09:53, 9 June 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  External links modified 

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just modified one external link on Mi'irabawi Zone. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
*Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20081119213856/http://www.csa.gov.et/surveys/Population%20and%20Housing%20Census%201994/survey0/data/docs/report/Statistical_Report/k01/k01.pdf to http://www.csa.gov.et/surveys/Population%20and%20Housing%20Census%201994/survey0/data/docs%5Creport%5CStatistical_Report%5Ck01%5Ck01.pdf
When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.
Cheers.—InternetArchiveBot (Report bug) 05:36, 27 January 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  External links modified (January 2018) 

message: There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Maekelay Zone which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you.  —RMCD bot 06:33, 28 January 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  Move discussion in progress 

message: Since the beginning of the conflict the Zone has been under the administration of the Amhara region with the name Wolkait Tegede Setit Humera Zone. 129.242.251.236 (talk) 06:19, 4 May 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  Disputed Zone 

message: There are many false claims and removal of the right edits made with sources by @Dawit S Gondaria. Can the Moderators please double check and correct?
"Prior to the 1990s, what is now the Western Zone was part of the historical province of Begemder, before being annexed into Tigray."
This is factually wrong as can be proven by the following sources (all academic sources and articles by researchers).  
Despite the brief and forceful annexation of WelQait by the Haileselassie and Dergue regimes in the 20th century (1941 to be exact), the demography remained predominantly Tigrayan, with 97% of the population being Tigrayan Welkait. This is because Tigrayans had settled in the region since the 1st century AD during the Axumite Kingdom, and the mere four decades of forceful annexation did not change the language (which remained Tigrigna) 1https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7064013, , the culture (which remained Tigrayan) https://www.unilibro.it/libro/dore-gianni-mantel-niecko-joanna-taddia-irma/quaderni-wolqayt-documenti-storia-sociale-dell-etiopia/9788878920170  and the place names (which remained in Tigrigna)https://zenodo.org/record/7066265. When the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was established by the 1991 constitution, regions were created based on settlement patterns, language, identity, and consent of the people https://sites.tufts.edu/reinventingpeace/2021/07/16/the-tigray-amhara-boundary-should-be-resolved-by-constitutional-means/, as outlined in Article 46 of the FDRE Constitution https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Ethiopia_1994.pdf. As such, WelQait was returned to Western Tigray, as over 97% of the population spoke Tigrigna, and their settlement patterns, culture, history, and identity were Tigrayan. However, since the start of the Tigray War in 2020, there have been reports of ethnic cleansing against Tigrayans by invading forces from Amhara, which have virtually cleansed as many as 723,000 Tigrayans from Western Tigray, according to reports from Human Rights Watch and a 2021 US State Department report by Blinken https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/10/politics/blinken-tigray-ethnic-cleansing/index.html.
This is undisputed fact and the most recorded history since the antiquity Preaxumite, Alumite,  all the way to the modern history- Please refer to the references here https://www.tghat.com/2023/03/28/western-tigray-a-tigrayan-territory-since-antiquity/
TL;DR
Adminstrative history of Western Tigray https://www.tghat.com/2023/03/28/western-tigray-a-tigrayan-territory-since-antiquity/ 
origin of Pre axumite kingdoms –1843=Tigray=3000yrs
1844-1847= Gonder=3 yrs 
1848-1890= Tigray=42 yrs 
1891-1896= bege/gonder=5 yrs 
1897-1943=Tigray=46 yrs 
1944-1990= Begemdir=46 yrs
1991- returned to Tigray
Now under ethnic cleansing by Amhara. So the identity is 100% Tigray. By allowing mis information Wikipedia is encouraging ethnic cleansing and genocide. https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/06/crimes-against-humanity-and-ethnic-cleansing-ethiopias-western-tigray-zone  — Preceding unsigned comment added by AneTigrway (talk • contribs) 05:37, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Disruptive editing and abuse of sources 

message: The ethnic make up is never contested. WelQait is historically and ethnically Tigrayan but was forcefully annexed from 1944-1990 to Gonder by Haileslassie and Dergue regimes as a deliberate strategy to weaken Tigray and cut its borders from the rest of the world. Please check the following sources about the ethnic composition, mother tongue, identity and culture of WelQait before, during, and after the forceful annexation of WelQait.
1. Before the forceful annexation of WelQait- the Italian ethnographer [Ellero] https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Ellero%7CGiovanni who was in Welkait in 1939-1940 before the foreceul annexation of WelQait to Gonder in 1944,Clealy states that WelQait is Tigrayan in Language, culture, and place names https://www.unilibro.it/libro/dore-gianni-mantel-niecko-joanna-taddia-irma/quaderni-wolqayt-documenti-storia-sociale-dell-etiopia/9788878920170 . Belgian researches list of 574 place names as recorded by Ellero and his translators and clearly unambiguously state that WelQait was Tigrayan before the forceful annexation in 1944 https://zenodo.org/record/7066265.
2. During the forceful annexation of WelQait - Dergue census shows that WelQait remained Tigrayan both in Language and culture. https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2022/11/17/amhara-nationalist-claims-over-western-tigray-are-a-smokescreen-for-ethnic-cleansing/ shows that even during the forceful annexation of WelQait to Gonder in Dergue time, the mother tongue language is shown to Tigrigna and the people are Tigrayan. Dergue officially complain about the inhabitants being Tigrayan and these more sympathetic towards TPLF is also recorded in the Dergue documents which are compiled in the evidences are given here https://www.quora.com/What-region-of-Ethiopia-does-the-area-called-Western-Tigray-rightfully-belong. Recent academic publications shows that the Dergue internal communications dated ate: 04/16/1984 GC states "TPLF has been freely roaming in Welkait and Tsegede weredas for the last five years and the people are Tigrinya speakers, the TPLF has found a fertile ground. A more robust detailed explanation isgiven here https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2022/08/03/under-ethiopias-federal-system-western-tigray-belongs-in-tigray/
3. After the end of the forceful annexation - the census in 1994 and 2007 consistently show majority Tigrayan but an increase in percentage of Amhara residents. Tigrinya speakers were the majority in Welkait well before the emergence of the TPLF—which invalidates the assertion that TPLF needed to carry out resettlement to shift the demographics of the area in Tigray’s favor—there nonetheless was a resettlement of Tigrayans in what has become Western Tigray after the coming to power of TPLF-EPRDF. Some of the evidences are given in 1 and 2 above. The effect of these resettlement programs was negligible and that some areas in Western Tigray have actually seen an increase in the Amhara population while the number of Tigrayans decreased as can be seen from the census. This is because increased Amhara laborers influx to WelQait Humera as these areas start to demand more manpower for Sesam harvest seasons. Another reason is the relative peace and stability in WelQait and Western Tigray compared to the insecurity and kidnappings in Northern Gonder by bandits locally named Armachiho shifta “የኣርማጭሆ ሽፍታ” . Majority of these bandits from Northern Gonder were renamed "Gonder Fano" and are mainly responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Tigrayans as was proved by Human rights watch reports. AneTigrway (talk) 01:55, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  False Narrations and information both in the history and demography of Western Tigray as Amhara land 

message: The Western Zone () is wrong. It is called ዞባ ምዕራብ in Tigrigna. Whoever wrote it doesn't know Tigrigna and tried to appropriate Amharic "ምዕራባዊ" . AneTigrway (talk) 01:58, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  The name is wrong in Tigrigna.  

message: @Dawit S Gondaria "Historically, the areas situated west of the Tekeze river were not part of Tigray. Welkait, Tsegede, Kafta Humera (now called Western Tigray) and Tselemti in the North Western Zone at times the areas were autonomous provinces ruled by Amhara nobles and other times fell under the administration of Begemder.
"
What pages of the sources exactly state that? This is wrong and deliberate misinformation. As the following academic sources say otherwise starting from Pre-axumite era （before 1c AD) all the way to modern times.
1. Hatsani Daniel mentions a toponym WYLQ possibly Welkait from Western Tigray https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273293662_David_W_Phillipson_Foundations_of_an_African_civilisation_Aksum_the_northern_Horn_1000_BC-AD_1300_x294_pages_94_illustrations_2012_Woodbridge_Boydell_Brewer_978-1-84701-041-4_hardback_40
2. The mention of Säb’a Welkait (ሰብኣ-ወልቃይት) is analogous to and parallel with  Säb’a Enterta or Enderta (Enderta or Enterta People), Säb’a Agame (Agame People),  Säb’a Azebo (Azebo People), Säb’a Womberta (Womberta People), and Säb’a Segli (Segli People), Säb’a Wejjerat (Wejjerat people) and the like we see in historical sources. It is an exact reference defining people (Säb’a) in a certain domain (Welkait) under the polity (Aksumite identity). source Fattovich and Bard, 2001:4 https://www.persee.fr/doc/ethio_0066-2127_2001_num_17_1_987 and  Munro-Hay, 1991 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquaries-journal/article/abs/aksum-an-african-civilisation-of-late-antiquity-by-stuart-munrohay-240-160mm-pp-x-294-bibliography-index-67-ills-edinburgh-university-press-1991-isbn-0748601066-4000/5DB38BF1C8AB68BBFE0C739CB957DC5C
3. The mention of the walduba monastery as second of the five main religious sanctuaries in Tigray ``never molested by the troubles and horrors of Abyssinian war-Axum, Waldeba, Gunda Gundi, Debre Damo, Debre Abay“  in the book “Abyssinia and its People, or Life in the land of Prester John” in 1868 (see: page 13 https://www.africanidea.org/Border.pdf) confirms two facts: administrative history and identity.
4. James Bruce`s 18th century manuscript named as “MS Bruce 94“ states Welkait and its surrounding had Tigrinya-speaking Bete Israelite inhabitants: “in regions to the north and east of Gondär, namely Wälqayǝt, Ṭsägäde, Ṭsällämti, and Wag Hǝmra they [Bete Israel people] spoke Tigrinya…“(Dege-Müller: 2020: 14). https://www.academia.edu/81975866/The_Manuscript_Tradition_of_the_Bet%C3%A4_%C6%8Esra%CA%BEel_Ethiopian_Jews_Form_and_Content_A_Preliminary_Analysis
5. There are also Tigrinya names of flat-topped areas (Emba Redaè, Emba Falasha, Amba Adi Ero) where the Tigrayan Jewish lived according to 19th and early 20th-century European travelers (see: Abbink, 1990: 444 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/28646114_The_Enigma_of_Beta_Esra'el_Ethnogenesis_An_Anthro-Historical_Study ). The Tigrayan Bete Israelites associate their history to the history of the Ark of the Covenant, Pre-Aksumite times. There is the same community in Northwestern Tigray. 
  
6. A preamble of versi abissini (ቅኔ፡ ሓበሻ) by Jacques Faitlovich  (1910) https://www.africantriangle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/MK_reduced.pdf  stating  historically, Tigrigna used to dominate a larger territory, than its map in EPRDF´s Tigray, in Lasta, Zebul, Yejiu, and Eastern Danakil areas, current Western Tigray  and its outlying areas:
“Tigrigna, Tigrinya or Tigrai, a language spoken…throughout the entire northern part of the Negus empire, on this side of the Tekazzé and on the other side of this river in the western provinces, in Tsegdie, Wolqaït, Waldebba and in a part of Tselemt. “ 
I can add more academic and historical written records if needed. Moderators of this page, please fix it. AneTigrway (talk) 02:16, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:   Disruptive editing and abuse of sources  

message: 1944 annexation of Western Tigray into Amhara as punishment of 1st Woyane rebellion in Tigray[edit]
Geographical and anthropological evidence show that Western Tigray has been part of Tigray since Pre-Axumite times  also in the middle ages. But this land was taken to Amhara in 1944 by Haile Selassie to punish Tigray for Woyane rebellion.
The last Monarch prince Raesi Mengesha Seyoum also speaks how when growing up all Western Tigray and Southern Tigray to Alwuha Milash belonged to Tigray. Western Tigray and portions of Southern Tigray was taken from Tigray by Haileslassie in 1948EC and 1949EC (1955 and 1956 GC) and given to his son Algaworash Asfawoson as a gift to expand his administration and punish the Woyane peasant upraising despite the place belonging to Tigray under his father’s Raesi Seyoum rule[1] . The same is also testified by the grandson of the then ruler of Wolqait district Raesi Hagos[2] . The grandson of Raesi Araya (Uncle of King Yohannes IV) named Raesi Muuz also speaks the same facts [3].
During the forceful annexation of Western Tigray - Dergue census shows that Western Tigray remained Tigrayan both in Language and culture[4]. Dergue officially complain about the inhabitants being Tigrayan and these more sympathetic towards TPLF is also recorded in the Dergue documents which are compiled in the evidences are given here[5] . Recent academic publications shows that the Top-secret internal communication by DERG regarding the population of Welkait and Tsegede (Western Tigray, Ethiopia) dated 04/16/1984 GC states "TPLF has been freely roaming in Welkait and Tsegede weredas for the last five years and the people are Tigrinya speakers, the TPLF has found a fertile ground". A more robust detailed explanation is given here [6]. 
Sources
1.      , retrieved 2023-04-15
2.     ^ , retrieved 2023-04-15
3.     ^ . Retrieved 2023-04-15
4.     ^ . Retrieved 2023-04-15
5.     ^ . Retrieved 2023-04-15
6.     ^ , retrieved 2023-04-15 AneTigrway (talk) 03:35, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  1944 annexation of Western Tigray into Amhara as punishment of 1st Woyane rebellion in Tigray 

message: Pre Axumite and Axumite kingdom[edit]
Geographical and anthropological evidence show that Western Tigray has been part of Tigray since Pre-Axumite times [1][2] also in the middle ages as is clearly stated in 1833 book by Michael Russell NUBIA and ABYSSINIA: Comprehending Their Civil History, Antiquities, Arts, Religion, Literature, and Natural history’’ at page 79, Semien, WElQait, Waldba, and Lasta were part of Tigray province [3].
Geographical and anthropological evidence supports the claim that Western Tigray has been a part of Tigray since pre-Axumite times   and also during the middle ages. The mention of Säb’a Welkait (ሰብኣ-ወልቃይት) is analogous to and parallel with Säb’a Enterta or Enderta (Enderta or Enterta People), Säb’a Agame (Agame People), Säb’a Azebo (Azebo People), Säb’a Womberta (Womberta People), and Säb’a Segli (Segli People), Säb’a Wejjerat (Wejjerat people) and the like we see in historical sources. It is an exact reference defining people (Säb’a) in a certain domain (Welkait) under the polity (Aksumite identity). source Fattovich and Bard, 2001:4[2]  and Hatsani Daniel mentions a toponym WYLQ Welkait from Western Tigray . This fact is clearly stated in Michael Russell's 1833 book "NUBIA and ABYSSINIA: Comprehending Their Civil History, Antiquities, Arts, Religion, Literature, and Natural History" on page 79 [3]. According to the book, Semien, WelQait, Waldba, and Lasta were all part of the Tigray province.
Sources
# Edwards, David N. (2013-06). "David W. Phillipson. Foundations of an African civilisation: Aksum & the northern Horn 1000 BC–AD 1300. x+294 pages, 94 illustrations. 2012. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer; 978-1-84701-041-4 hardback £ 40". Antiquity. 87 (336): 618–620. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00049309. ISSN 0003-598X
# Fattovich, Rodolfo; Bard, Kathryn A. (2001). "The Proto-Aksumite Period: An Overview". Annales d'Éthiopie. 17 (1): 3–24. doi:10.3406/ethio.2001.987.
# Russell, Michael (1845). Nubia and Abyssinia: Comprehending their civil history, antiquities, arts, religion, literature, and natural history. Illustr. by a map, and several engravings. Harper.
AneTigrway (talk) 03:41, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Western Tigray in Pre Axumite and Axumite kingdom 

message: === Middle ages (1605-1944) ===
109 historical and 31 ethno-linguistic maps (1607-2014) compiled by the researchers in Ghent University in Belgium show that starting from the late 17th C., internal boundaries are clearly shown, with 37 maps (between 1683 and 1941) displaying a boundary that is located well south of the Tekeze River, or even south of the Simien mountains. Welkait is explicitly included within a larger Tigray confederation (periods 1707-1794; 1831-1886; and 1939-1941); it is briefly mapped as part of Amhara in 1891-1894 and part of Gondar from 1944-1990. At other periods it appears independent or part of a larger Mezaga (“dark earth”) lowland region.  During the era of the princes, areas west of the Tekeze river was governed by  Semien based heredietary. Ras Gebre of Semien was the governor of Semien, Tsegede, Wolkait and Wogera, his long reign lasted 44 years and came to an end in 1815. His son Haile Maryam Gebre succeeded him and reigned between 1815-1826 and was succeeded by his son Wube.
The Semien warlord Wube Haile Maryam governed not only the western side of the Tekeze river since 1826 but also expanded into the east of the Tekeze river and conquered Tigray and areas of what is now in present-day Eritrea during the 1830's.
AneTigrway (talk) 03:44, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Western Tigray in the Middle ages up to 1940s (1605-1944) 

message: 109 historical and 31 ethno-linguistic maps (1607-2014) compiled by the researchers in Ghent University in Belgium show that starting from the late 17th C., internal boundaries are clearly shown, with 37 maps (between 1683 and 1941) displaying a boundary that is located well south of the Tekeze River, or even south of the Simien mountains. Welkait is explicitly included within a larger Tigray confederation (periods 1707-1794; 1831-1886; and 1939-1941); it is briefly mapped as part of Amhara in 1891-1894 and part of Gondar from 1944-1990. At other periods it appears independent or part of a larger Mezaga (“dark earth”) lowland region.  During the era of the princes, areas west of the Tekeze river was governed by  Semien based heredietary. Ras Gebre of Semien was the governor of Semien, Tsegede, Wolkait and Wogera, his long reign lasted 44 years and came to an end in 1815. His son Haile Maryam Gebre succeeded him and reigned between 1815-1826 and was succeeded by his son Wube.
The Semien warlord Wube Haile Maryam governed not only the western side of the Tekeze river since 1826 but also expanded into the east of the Tekeze river and conquered Tigray and areas of what is now in present-day Eritrea during the 1830's.
AneTigrway (talk) 03:44, 15 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Middle ages (1605-1944) 

message: The article discusses the work of Eike Haberland(Published: Wiesbaden : Steiner, 1965), who wrote about the linguistic situation in Ethiopia and the distribution of Semitic languages. Haberland explains that the distribution of Semitic languages is not solely due to the influence of Aksumite colonization but also due to various South Arabian migrations. The article provides translated snippets from Haberland's work, which discuss the cultural differences and similarities between various Ethiopian tribes and their linguistic origins. It also notes that the core area of the Ethiopian Empire was limited during the time of Lebna Dengel and that the spread of Semitic-speaking peoples in Ethiopia likely occurred in spurts across the Red Sea. The article includes maps to illustrate these points.
Semitic language area in Ethiopia in the 14th C Map is shown below
This Map Shows that by 14C Not only Western Tigray but way deeper into South was speaking Tigrigna. Amharic was spoken at Central Ethiopia. 
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/S9tzaGZTnjl41T-XKpG4HrBLVu77R1AtgfzzSXvNkFBvTPrxFQKNrvhQK4u9L5Yy_dvtvGzqb7H8xxXCeEFd2bYLbNcftKqmi8fSIL4bIaLts98wlto9-fWuSRRoo2n-007PaFkwqpDz7oMHIw3mJA
source https://tghat.com/2023/04/18/eike-haberlands-extent-of-semitic-languages-in-the-horn-of-africa-through-time-with-3-maps/ AneTigrway (talk) 13:14, 19 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  New translation shows Western Tigray and beyond part of Tigrigna speaking Tigray, 1965 publication 

message: My continuous edits about the history of Western Tigray from before 1000BC all the way to modern times was repeatedly deleted by the user @ Dawit S Gondaria misusing his privileges. We need neutral moderators in this page to use standards to review edits in this page.  AneTigrway (talk) 13:18, 19 April 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edits being deleted. We need Moderators in this page