User:Habbonet

The Raya people of Ethiopia: History and Political Life

Raya is a place situated in the Northen part of Ethiopia.The community prefer to be known as Raya people for they believed to have peculiar culture and identity. Administratively,which seems to be designed to dismantle the identity, Raya is currently part of Tigray and Amhara regional states where the majority lies in Tigray. In the Tigray region, Raya people are estimated to be nearly one million and they settled in the districts /Woreda/ of Alamata, Raya Azebo, Ofla, Enda Mekoni, Alaje and Hintalo Wejerat. where these districts are nowadays with their own Council and administrative existsnce. Most of the people speak Tigrigna although some communities in the most southen part mainly use Amharic but they face difficulty while speaking Tigrigna. Until recently all the Rayan woredas were brought together under Southern Tigray Zone where they were enjoying their common identity and culture but in 2000, the later one was separated to be part of the newly created, South-Estern Zone. By doing such divisions, the TPLF government wishes to avoid challenges from the people which showed the zeal for democratic self-administration, cultural rights and self-determination ambitions. In the Amhara region, we find the Raya people in the Kobo Woreda of the Northen Wollo Zone where they speak solely Amharic and the population is estimated to be nearly eighty thousand. These two communites demand to create a unified Raya community where their culture, history and identity would be preserved and developed. Unfortunately, the infamous TPLF government acts against the will of the people and the worst form of nepotism and tyranny are witnessed in the Areas. In the Tigray regional part, Raya communities were and still are administrated with those ignorant of the community`s best values and practices where most of the area believes to be Adwa born lower grade cadres! The people are waging against this tyranny and disclosed the narrow minded acts of the Meles Junta government!