Fikre tolosa interview tedros tsegaye dandana

Editor’s note: This is an eyewitness account of what transpired in Aksum when and after the invading Eritrean and Ethiopian forces took control of the city.

The eyewitness, Woinishet, who lives in the US, went back to her birthplace of Aksum after about 40 years to participate in the colorful Hidar Tsion annual celebration which now, we know, did not happen due to the war on Tigray.

Translator’s note: This is a dynamic and in places paraphrased translation [up to minute 46] because the deep emotion and trauma of the interviewee made a direct/verbatim transcription and translation difficult.

Fikre tolosa interview tedros tsegaye dandana

The interview was conducted by Tedros Tsegaye of Reyot media. This translation was made with the kind permission of Reyot Media.

Given the communication blackout imposed in Tigray, the surveillance, censorship, silencing, targeting and ethnic profiling of Tigrayans resulting in a dearth of eyewitness accounts of the