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Tigray’s Alleged Inferiority Complex


The two-hour drive between Asmara to Keren is known as a challenging stretch of road. Torturous and twisted, the road is unofficially known as "Libi Tigray" (heart of Tigray) by the locals. The name serves as a reminder of when Tigrayan leaders seeked a peace agreement with Eritrean leaders in the 19th century that turned out to be a ploy to attack and briefly occupy Eritrea, which was then known as the kingdom of Medri Bahri (Land of the Sea).  - Photo: Semenawi Keyih Bahri road.


Tigray’s Alleged Inferiority Complex

By Bereket Kidane,

Ambassador David Shinn in his recent op-ed piece on US-Eritrea relations alluded to the fact that one of the causes of the 1998-2001 border war was the perceived inferiority complex that Tigrayans have towards Eritreans and the score settling they felt they needed to do as a result once they had access to the resources of a larger state. Ambassador Shinn was not shooting from the hip when he mentioned this fact in his article. Having been the United States Ambassador to Ethiopia during the late nineties, he has some “local knowledge” as they say on this matter. He has probably looked extensively into the real causes of the supposed “border war” and spoken with many native and non-native experts on the two countries and the region. Tigrayans’ perceived inferiority complex and past grievances coupled with their desire to expand Tigray’s borders in all directions north, east and south were among the real reasons for the war he probably kept hearing.  He made a mention of the fact that the Tigrayan leadership had published a map of Tigray that incorporated large swaths of Eritrea without good reason or any explanation. It’s important to remember that the Regional State of Tigray had indeed succeeded in expanding its borders in all directions within Ethiopia by claiming fertile land that formerly belonged to the Amhara peoples. It had accomplished that with impunity.  It was only when it tried to push Tigray’s borders north into Eritrea that it was met with stiff resistance.

But what about his assertions? Aside from the fact that no one can make you feel inferior without your consent, there is a long history between Tigray and Eritrea that goes back several hundred years, full of mistrust and stereotypes. Most people in Eritrea have heard of the famously twisted mountains on the Asmara-Keren road named “Libi Tigray” or “Twisted like the heart of a Tigrayan.” The name of those mountains is instructive to anyone who tries to understand how Eritreans and Tigrayans perceive each other. To an Eritrean, his word is his bond. Tigrayan warlords of the past have had a reputation for playing fast and loose with the truth to the point of swearing by the bible in order to fool people into thinking they had an agreement with them. Consequently, Eritreans had always perceived Tigrayans as untrustworthy, shifty and treacherous.  In fact, many Eritrean elders in 1991 had warned the victorious EPLF leaders against establishing close ties with the TPLF. When Tigrayan leaders launched a full scale invasion of Eritrea under the pretext of a border war, it was an “I told you so” moment for the elders. The fact that the present Tigrayan leadership of Ethiopia went back out on its word and has so far refused to abide by the Hague decision and allow demarcation to proceed as per the iron-clad Algiers Agreement and instructions of the boundary commission is seen by Eritreans as the continuation of that famously shifty, treacherous and untrustworthy Tigrayan behavior of yesteryears.

Whatever one thinks of the inferiority complex argument, there is undeniable hostility and animosity between the two peoples now. There is palpable anger coming from the Eritrean side due to the Tigrayan leadership’s refusal to honor the final and binding Algiers Agreement. One of the saddest things that happened during the 1998-2001 war was the brutal treatment of Eritreans living in Ethiopia. They had been stripped of their properties and lifetime savings and made destitute, separated from their spouses and children in order to inflict maximum psychological pain and made to cross the border into Eritrea by walking through landmines. The fact that some 19,000 young Eritreans had died in defense of Eritrea’s sovereignty has made it one of the most blood-soaked international lines on this earth.

Inferiority complex or not, one will never know why the Tigrayan leadership felt they had to go to that length of brutality toward Eritreans living in Ethiopia or why they even felt like they had to destroy martyrs cemeteries in Eritrean towns they occupied. One thing is for certain, however: the legacy of that border war will continue to reverberate for generations to come and negatively define the social and international relations between Tigray and Eritrea.

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Tigray’s Alleged Inferiority Complex Reviewed by Admin on 4:02 PM Rating: 5

49 comments:

  1. When dog barks, it doesn't hear itself but it hear the echo from far, and your empty boasting, will keep you busy, but it's not going add you one point. He is inferior and living in misery, time will let us know. I do not want to talk about whole society at this time but I can tell you this you are really confuse human being. ዘይ ምፍላጥካ ግን ጽቡቕ ረዲኡካ'ሎ። ምስኪን ተሕዝን'ኻ። በል ደሐን በዙይ እንተደአ ነፊሱልካስ ሽግር አይህሉን።

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  2. What disgusting article.How can a people who still live among us, of course, flock to Ethiopia in thousands insult people.This is what slave mentality is.I am Ethiopian,Amhara, but I love tigraian they know not only how to fight enemy but how to fight poverty.They are my hero brothers.Shout up the other side of mereb,keep walking on explosives to escape the cursed land.Insulting people is proving that you have slave mentality.

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  3. taye
    if u believe it or not they hate u more than anybody else. i debate u r ethiopian because i know who is ethiopian or tigrai .

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  4. A serious disease in human beings is "the envy"..unfortunately on the many tegrayans leaders this prevail..

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  5. The Woyane regime has worsened the relationship between this two people, and I don't think it will be normalize easily. "This is emphasized by Gebru Asrat, said that Eritreans underestimate tigrayans and considers us as flies, just "Fleet" insect cider spray is enough to kill tigrayans why bullets". Such ideas emerges from people who are suffering from low inferiority complex, and do not represent all tigryanas and Eritrean people mentality. How can you say to your own people we are inferior.
    I think we are all human beings born with dignity no one is inferior or superior to the other. It is the mentality of Woyane regime that harmed the value of tigryans people, yet considered as inferior people by the west.

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  6. Who is this Bereket guy? I always seem to be nodding my head in agreement with his analysis. Well said!

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  7. It is very embarrassing to call this road Libi Tigrai and very unfair to generalized people as bad. I know most Tigrains are very good and God fearing people. We must stop calling it Libi Tigrai. Instead we have to call it Libi weyane hasad.

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  8. Funny how more people are fleeing Ethiopia than any country in Africa. Last year, over 800,000 Ethiopians fled to the Middle East. This is not including the 450,000 that flee for other destinations like Europe, Eritrea, South Africa, Kenya, Sudan, etc. Once again, Ethiopia has more people fleeing their country than any nation in Africa. This is a FACT, not an opinion.

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  9. He is obviously a Tigrayan pretending to be an Amhara. All "Taye" is doing is proving Bereket's analysis of Tigrayans to be correct. Tigrayans are known for pretending to be other groups of people when its politically convenient.

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  10. I agree, however, the name has been around since the road was built in the early 20th century by the Italians.

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  11. We hate weyane not Ethiopians, I bet this man is not Amhara, If I were him, I would hate weyane for displaced over 78000 Amharans form south Ethiopia,for disappeared over 2.4 Amharans, and sterelized Amharan women.

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  12. This is the leader of Eritrea who was tricked by a fake peace treaty by Tigrayan leaders. His name was Bahri Neggasi Welde Mikael (the last king of Medri Bahri, although he was never elected by the people). After they captured him and killed his trusted generals, the Tigrayan warlords, who were armed by the British with advance weapons, attacked Eritrea (which was then known as Medri-Bahri) and killed tens of thousands of people from a population of just 200,000. What they did was genocide. They couldn't defeat Welde Mikael in a fair fight, even though they outnumbered his troops and had significant help from the British, so they tricked him into thinking Tigray wanted peace with Medri Bahri (Eritrea) to take him out.

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  13. Eyasu Berhe, a TPLF singer, used to sing songs about Eritrea. He used to say Eritreans and Tigrayans are one people (LOL) and everything rosey under the sun. As soon as TPLF attacked Eritrea, I remember this clown saying every last Eritrean should be killed. I remember thinking, wow, that's a "Libi Tigray" moment. But in 2010, he had a Libi Weyane moment when he mysteriously died of unknown circumstances. Certain Ethiopian news agencies reported he was killed by Weyane agents who thought he was going to defect.


    Here's his song praising Eritrea in 1992
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVuOD9XY5f0

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  14. From 7:13 -7:23 into the video, Eyasu Berhe reminds me of Rafki from The Lion King when he was on pride rock. :-)

    http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4ozj8qO151ro2dgk.gif

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  15. From 7:13 -7:23 into the video, Eyasu Berhe reminds me of Rafki from The Lion King when he was on top of pride rock. :-)

    http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4ozj8qO151ro2dgk.gif

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  16. I thought the border clash was instigated by EPLF as asserted by the united nations. As regards the inferiority complex, what is that the Tigreans would make them feel inferior to Eritreans. Is it because Eritreans were under the colony of the Arabs, Turks, and Italians? Is it because of the economic advantage the eritreans were somehow benefiting because of their servitude and submission to their italian masters? I am hard pressed to really grasp the alleged cause of the inferiority feelings by the Tigreans. The tigreans were always defending their territory from any possible colonial aggression by fighting fiercely and refusing to submit. If the Tigreans were really suffering from inferiority complex they should have allowed the fascist Italians to be their colonial masters and abusers as the Eritreans did. But allas, they didn't.
    Besides, The tigreans did manage to fully free their region(Tigray) from the grip of the Fascist Derg regime after just 14 years of armed struggle and the whole Ethiopia in less than 17 years while the eritreans couldn't free any province or district for more than 29 years. It was only when TPLF was nearing halfway on the road to the central Ethiopia that shabia start to register some meaninful victories. So who do we think is smarter in defending their countries and annihilating their enemies be it outsiders or locals? The Tigreans or the Eritreans. While the Tigreans have always been fighting to ward external aggressors off, the Eritreans were always sleeping with their colonial masters. Was there any point in time where the Eritreans dared to venture any armed struggle or resistance against their beloved colonial masters? Absolutely not, Nadda, Nil.
    Last but not list, when the EPLFites were boasting that they were not going to vacate the areas they invaded for the coming 100 years, It was very funny and mind boggling to witness that they were unable to even put up a defensive fight against the gallant Tigreans for more than two days In bademe. So who is inferior than who? Let's also see the economic developments the two nations (Ethiopia and Eritrea) are registering under the leadership of the Tigreans and the Eirtreans in their respective countries. Please tell me who is inferior to who? Please please,

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  17. Are Ethiopians fleeing to Eritrea or Eritreans to Ethiopia? If ethiopians fled to the middle east it is because of the obvious fact that the middle east is economically better than ethiopia. But what would we say when hundreds of thousands Eritreans are fleeing to Ethiopia and Sudan? Can you imagine more than 250 thousand eritrean refugees in Sudan and more than 100 thousand in Ethiopia from a country which boasts itt is much better and smarter than any african country? Shame, shame , shame. I am not considering the more than 60 thousand eritreans in Israel alone here. I mean if you have to keep on counting the total number of Eritrean refugees throughout the world, well to could go to the tune of more than 1 million from a small country with a population of only 4 million. Isn't is shocking??

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  18. As far as Libi Tigray or Tembien is concerned check and you will be satisfied here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hi8dxpH3zI

    http://www.royalark.net/Ethiopia/tigray5.htm

    As far as Expulsion of Eritreans from Ethiopia is concerned our Tembenay Leader once said ''The centere of gravity of the WAR will be in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia'' many Eritreans are living and working there.
    ** MA EKEL SIHBET ETI KUNAT AB WISCHTIE ADDIS ABEBA KIKEWN EU** Isayas Afwerkie at the begining of the ethio-Erit war.

    What do you expect then? Will Ethiopians let Isayas have his word. Well inspite of that they have shown and are showing remorse to that act.

    Talking of words... the Tembenay Leader once said **The Sun will die if he gets out of Badme.** Talking of a pompous untrustworthy, shifty, treacherous but also stupid words, such a bad combination of charachters for a Tigrayan leader.

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  19. Tigrayan elites suffering from inferiority complex isn't new. It's been well documented for decades. Bereket is just highlighting because the former US ambassador to Ethiopia mentioning last month.


    Over 75% of all Ethiopian forces were stationed in Eritrea, not Tigray. There was nothing in Tigray that Derg wanted. While the EPLF was fighting the war, TPLF was fighting police officers and untrained militias. Bottom line, if EPLF didn't defeat the Derg army, navy and air force (yes, that's the fact), you wouldn't be in power today. EPLF was the sole reason why the DERG regime collapsed. In fact, EPLF troops entered Addis Ababa. All the major battles that took place in the region happened in Eritrea.

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  20. You are right, nobody trusts this people. One person in the above comments said the road libi Tgray was named in the beginning of 20th century. Our ancestors had warned us we forgot it.

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  21. The sad part is our forefathers had warned us about those Agames. But we didn't listen to them. We now know they were correct. And the leadership of Eritrea also knows our elders were correct. so Tigray will never full us again. Actually, there is no point in dealing with Tigray. The best kind of relationship you can have with Tigray is to have no relationship. That is the only way you can protect yourself and your country from those hyenas.

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  22. I hate this name that you carry you idiot Agame!!! Who is your forefather Abreha... ha ha :) from where is he. He is 100% from the place where forefathers come. get it you damb ass!

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  23. So I am Agame now, what's Abreha. Shameless woyane. Moite on line( mol )

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  24. Hahahahahha Emo Eritrean Tigrayinsi zitefelaleya hagerat neyren diyu eti zereba? kakakakakakakakaka ne zeyfelet nigero. we are the same people. kedem hade nerna kabziwexae delo tarik xewexeway tiray'yu. hizbi kebesan tigrayin hade'yom. kunama Eritrean kunama tigrayin hade'yom. saho Eritrean saho tigrayin hade'yom. ahar Eritrean afar tigrayin hade'yom. tigrigna tigrayin tigrigna Eritrean hade'yom.

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  25. http://youtu.be/ST4XnvFfRH4

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  26. Taye would have surficed but as a woyane you see the need to mention "i am amhara", by the way We called you "Amhara", you were 'Amara' before typical of woyane, semmulating Eritrea is sign of civility tplf was EPLF prodgedy, and will never be able to think and live without EPLF over shadow.

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  27. the name should stay so that our people learn what the people of tigray did to us and the misery they caused. After our kings death, Colonisation began. Simply put, its their fault !

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  28. My leader is not a Tembenay, where is tembenay by the way? Tenbenay is not Eritrean land, so why you call yourself Eritrean an envy. Inferior forget for good Eritrea and wait until the Ethiopians eat you alive.

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  29. if that not inferiority complex i don't then what is... Tembenay Eritrean that some funny s**t

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  30. Brother, we are in 21 century and we should not hate people based on their ethnicity. Tigrains are not responsible for what their warlords did in the past or what malelit is doing now.
    Wether we like or not, TPLF doomsday clock is ticking so fast, it is 10 minutes to midnight, so we have to think beyond our current situation.

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  31. The name should stay as is because (1) it has historical value. Our forefathers named it. And we need to be reminded of their wisdom since they were proven correct time and time again. (2) We seem to be very forgiving people as Eritreans. We keep making the same mistakes when dealing with Ethiopians. And the result is always the same. We get screwed in the end. So the name should stay. The name will stay. There is no good reason to change it. In fact, to the contrary, there is good reason to keep it.

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  32. Ask your grandfather what tembenay means. Do you speak Tigrina by the way? I think you are Jemane monkies little pfdj kid. ha ha ha

    The point here is DO YOU KNOW , THE FACT THAT ISAYAS AFWERKIE IS AN A TIGRAYAN AGAME ? And hence you people are pointing your fingers at him and his DEMHIT. Keep it up. That is a good game.

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  33. goust,
    Eritreans hate Agames. Don't you understand? We don't like your basic behavior or character. Libi Tigray Tiwiyway as they say. We keep rejecting you again and again but you don't seem to get it. WE DON'T LIKE YOU! WE HAVE NEVER LIKED AGAMES. WE ARE NOT GOING TO START LIKING AGAMES NOW. Get it?

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  34. Is it only me who knows the true nature of Agame/Tigrains including the nigger Amhara, are you people living in another planet to simply say "Tigrains are very good people"??? What is embarrassing is that people like you cuddling with Agame on this website, one who loves Agame is Agame, dirty race. Our Bahri-Negasi Welde Mikael is rolling on his grave on the absurdity of you filthy remark. It is very sad that Agame poisoned our King, it is a disgrace to die in the hands of Agame, may His Majesty Rest In Peace. My blood boils when I see a picture of Ngus Welde Mikael, there will come time to wipe-out Agame, there will be time. Rest in peace Ngus Negestat Welde Mikael, there will be cold revenge.

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  35. Is it only me who knows the true nature of Agame/Tigrains including the nigger Amhara, are you people living in another planet to simply say "Tigrains are very good people"??? What is embarrassing is that people like you cuddling with Agame on this website, one who loves Agame is Agame, dirty race. Our Bahri-Negasi Welde Mikael is rolling on his grave on the absurdity of you filthy remark. It is very sad that Agame poisoned our King, it is a disgrace to die in the hands of Agame, may His Majesty Rest In Peace. My blood boils when I see a picture of Ngus Welde Mikael, there will come time to wipe-out Agame, there will be time. Rest in peace Ngus Negestat Welde Mikael, there will be cold revenge!

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  36. You can hate as much as you want but it will not solve the problem among the nations in the region, Ethiopia going forward to soon to become an industrial and Democratic powerhouse in Africa, The Eritrea GOV (Marxist and Maoist like North Korea) are keeping Eritrea stoke in backwardness and isolation on a route to become a field stat so keep hating and hoping as much as you want....

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  37. You are narrow minded!!
    Why do you have so much anger towards Tigrains? Please do not borrow weyane comb to brush your bald hair.

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  38. Ethiopia power house in Africa k!k!k! the worlds 2nd poorest country with ethnic genocide here and there, 100000 prostitutes, 1 million homeless, 14 million hungry led by tribal junta and you call it democracy. wey good woyanes are shameless beggars.

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  39. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice - shame on me. "Narrow minded" you say... the only narrow mindedness is to be fooled by Agame over and over and over and over... no matter what.. those monkeys south of our borders will never swallow the reality of sovereighn Eritrea, they will move heaven and earth to take over Eritrea... and if you don't know that by now, I guess you have no brain at all. Just FYI... my forefathers defended Bahri Medri and Bahri Negasi Welde Mikael, my great great great great... grad fathers fought along side His Majesty, they were trusted diehard fierce warriors, heroes who slept standing up with a sharp sword and eyes & ears wide open, they are known as Ansebetay, I am from that klan, from the highlands (Kebesa), Hamasen, Anseba, Deki Dashm and DON"T YOU FORGET THAT !!!! We eat Agame alive for lunch, dinner and breakfast !!!! We find people like you weak and untrustworthy, a danger to our security. Eritreans rather see the extinction of Agame and Amhara rather that the massacre of our people. Long Live Ngus Negestat Bahri Negasi Welde Mikael !!!! Long Live Bahri Medri !!!!

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  40. Amen Fedayi! You are correct! YOu deal with an Agame at great risk to your sovereignty. Experience should teach us by now that it is better not to deal with Agame at all.

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  41. You can hate as much as you want but it will not solve the problem
    among the nations in the region, Ethiopia going forward to soon to
    become an industrial and Democratic powerhouse in Africa, The Eritrea
    GOV (Marxist and Maoist like North Korea) are keeping Eritrea stoke in
    backwardness and isolation on a route to become a field stat so keep
    hating and hoping as much as you want....

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  42. Fools do not want to understand anything.
    They only want to tell others what they think.
    Sorry, you live in the past and you are so dangerous to our society.Even cavemen do not think like the way you think.

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  43. Oh, no! It is dealing with Agame that has proven dangerous to Eritrea again and again. At some point, Eritrea has to learn its lesson and cut-off complete relations with Agame Land (Tigray). As has been said, the best you can have with Agame Republic is to have no relation at all.

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  44. Dont forget Weyane saved Shaebia in shadeshay werar Dergue was eraducating Shaebia and all the military of shabia was incircled. u can ask any Shabya tegadalay. I am Eritrean if you think woyane are tera sebat azu guguy meredaeta eu zeleka. Weyane ne Shaebia betetewom eyom awaridomom 51 amet telian geziena 15 amet telyan geziena 21 amet kea issayas Hayeruna eski Eseyas zeserha tekal ab asmara negereni enterfo university kefresen tekomti fokodo kebele keserene tewarede tarik hizna tezeytejaharna yehaysh, mukan entay zeygeberka eti hamam sebay eu adonkiruka

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  45. how can 10,000,000 people be inferior ....in southern Ethiopia there are nations with members 200,000 like keffa people

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  46. Amen hawey...long live ERITREA!!!! NEVER KNEEL DOWN! ❤️💙💚💛 🐫

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  47. Leraswo siqorsu ayasanisu; yiblu Amharu.Who is to feel inferiority in front of the smelling camels? I am an ordinary Tigrayan living in Adwa. Who can r ember you who the wounded knee camels;please leave a lone to feel 'inferiority'? You can refer to your alien Sibhat or Zenawi.....a sound take the native Tigrayan.....you are forgotten as even a subhuman

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  48. once a foolish cant differentiate what is good and bad. Already foolish is foolish that characterizes Hamasiens

    ReplyDelete

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