April 17, 2025
By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Tensions between the Amhara and Tigray regional states are once again boiling over the highly contested Wolkait-Tsegede-Setit Humera administrative zone. On April 16, 2025, the Amhara Media Corporation reported a military-style graduation ceremony involving senior leaders from the disputed zone. Officials, including the Zone Chief Administrator Ashete Demlew and Colonel Demeke Zewdu, completed a military training program allegedly aimed at enhancing leadership and peace enforcement capacities in the region.
The event, heavily symbolic and filled with rhetoric about defending regional identity and self-determination, portrayed Wolkait as inherently Amhara. Colonel Demeke emphasized the need to organize and arm local leadership to “resist subjugation” and safeguard “our identity.” These declarations, viewed from the Tigrayan perspective, are a direct challenge to the Pretoria Peace Agreement and Ethiopia’s constitutional order.
Reacting swiftly, the Tigray Regional Government issued a strong official statement the same day, accusing Amhara authorities and affiliated media of violating both the Ethiopian Constitution and the Pretoria Agreement, which ended the two-year civil war between the federal government and the TPLF. According to Tigray’s Communication Bureau, presenting Humera as part of Amhara is an “unconstitutional act” and “a direct breach of the Pretoria Agreement.”
The Tigrayan side warned that such provocations could destabilize the already fragile peace and called on the federal government to take legal action. The statement underscores the growing frustration in Tigray over what it sees as Amhara encroachments on constitutionally defined Tigrayan territory.
Historical Context: Why Wolkait Matters
The conflict over Wolkait Setit Humera is deeply embedded in Ethiopia’s complex federal arrangement and its history of ethnic-based governance. Prior to 1991, the area was administered under the Begemdir province, which corresponds to today’s Amhara region. However, after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rose to power through the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the area was controversially incorporated into the Tigray region. This move was met with strong opposition from Amhara communities, who saw it as a historical and administrative injustice.
From 2016 to 2018, growing unrest among Amhara communities in the region gave rise to the Wolkait Amhara Identity Committee, which actively campaigned for the re-incorporation of Wolkait into Amhara. The conflict escalated further during the Tigray War (2020–2022), when Amhara regional forces and allied militias took full control of the area.
After years of intense conflict, the Pretoria Agreement, signed in November 2022, officially ended the war between the federal government and the TPLF. However, the status of disputed territories, especially Wolkait Setit Humera, remained unresolved, leaving behind a power vacuum and deep-seated grievances on both sides. This unresolved status continues to act as a flashpoint for new tensions, as both Amhara and Tigray regions claim historical and constitutional rights over the area.
What the Pretoria Agreement Says – and Doesn’t Say
The Pretoria Agreement was intended as a comprehensive peace deal to end Ethiopia’s two-year civil war in the north. Signed on November 2, 2022, it included crucial provisions such as a cessation of hostilities, the disarmament of TPLF forces, the restoration of federal authority in Tigray, and the guarantee of unfettered humanitarian access to the region. While it marked a significant diplomatic breakthrough, it fell short of resolving one of the most contentious issues: the fate of Wolkait Setit Humera.
Though Article 4 of the agreement makes reference to the restoration of constitutional order, it does not offer a clear roadmap for the administration of disputed territories like Wolkait. As a result, both the Amhara and Tigray regional governments have continued to assert competing claims over the area. This legal and political ambiguity has turned Wolkait into a contested space where power struggles, identity politics, and historical grievances converge. Experts and observers have long cautioned that the failure to address this issue within the framework of law and dialogue could lead to renewed armed conflict.
What Did PM Abiy Ahmed say?
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has addressed the issue of Wolkait Setit Humera on several occasions, often using cautious and sometimes ambiguous language—likely reflecting the political sensitivity of the matter. One of the most notable and publicized statements came during his parliamentary address on April 4, 2023.
In that speech, Abiy emphasized that the issue of Wolkait—as well as other contested areas—is a constitutional matter that must be resolved peacefully and legally. He acknowledged that both the Amhara and Tigray regions have claims and grievances, but underlined that the federal government would not impose a unilateral solution. Instead, he encouraged dialogue, legal mechanisms, and possibly a referendum to address the status of the territory.
“Wolkait is not a matter to be resolved through war or force. It is a constitutional issue that requires wisdom, discussion, and the rule of law,” Abiy stated.
He also warned that any group attempting to resolve the issue through armed means would face consequences, signaling his administration’s preference for institutional mechanisms over military or populist pressure.
However, critics have pointed out that Abiy’s government has avoided taking a clear and decisive position, which has led both sides to interpret his statements in ways that reinforce their own narratives. Tigray views his ambiguity as allowing Amhara control of the area to continue, while many in Amhara interpret it as federal support or tolerance of the current status quo.
Outlook and Risk Assessment
With recent events underscoring heightened rhetoric, military posturing, and mutual accusations, Wolkait Setit Humera is rapidly emerging as Ethiopia’s most explosive flashpoint. The federal government’s silence or perceived neutrality is being interpreted differently by the contesting regions—Tigray sees it as abandonment, while Amhara views it as tacit approval. This ambiguous posture is only worsening the already delicate situation.
If Addis Ababa does not step in with a clear legal and political framework to mediate the dispute, the risk of renewed conflict is dangerously high. In a post-war Ethiopia struggling with national reconciliation, institutional rebuilding, and regional grievances, Wolkait represents a litmus test. A failure here could set a precedent for further regional fragmentation and violence. In short, Wolkait Setit Humera remains the most volatile and symbolic battleground in the fragile post-Pretoria peace, and without immediate constitutional clarity and national leadership, it could be the spark that reignites the fire.
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