The Scars and Song of Tigray: Hunger, Denial, and an Enduring Spirit

The sun's harsh gaze bakes Tigray's soil, casting long shadows over fields that whisper tales of past famines. These are not mere whispers, but living memories etched in the collective consciousness of the region, memories of a time when Haile Selassie's regime and later, the Dergue, shrouded Tigray's suffering in secrecy, weaponizing hunger to silence dissent. Today, echoes of that past ring anew, amplified by the current administration's denial of a present reality: famine is once again stalking the land.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's narrative attempts to paint the unfolding tragedy as a mere consequence of drought. Yet, Tigrayans see a different picture – aid trucks turned away, markets barren despite pronouncements of plenty, and the hollow eyes of children bearing silent witness to a deliberate policy of food insecurity. It is not merely the parched earth, but the suffocating grip, that chokes the spirit of this region.

This is not to say Tigray bows to hardship. Our history is a testament to resilience, forged in the crucible of adversity. This time, too, our voices will not be silenced.

Every empty stomach, every child too frail to play, carries a silent scream. These are not statistics, but living testaments to the human cost of denial. Tigray remembers the past, the famines shrouded in lies, and refuses to be complicit in its own erasure. We speak through the raspy whisper of hunger, through the defiant glint in our eyes, a legacy etched in hardship and resolve.

The scars of history run deep, but they do not define Tigray. They are merely chapters in a larger narrative, one woven with threads of resilience, solidarity, and unwavering hope. It is a story of women sharing meager rations, men risking their lives to smuggle in aid, and children keeping watch, their eyes alight with a future yet to be claimed.

This is the Tigrayan song, a melody of suffering and strength, of loss and determination. It is a song that will not be silenced, a testament to the enduring spirit of a people who refuse to be defined by our scars. Let it echo through the ages, a beacon for all who fight for their right to live with dignity and freedom.