April 20, 2026
Wondmagegn Ejigu
Sweden
I write not as a scholar or a political guru, but as an ordinary citizen, someone born and raised in the vibrant heart of Addis Ababa, where once, it felt like faith and ethnicity were mere threads in a much richer tapestry of community. Like millions who grew up in this beautiful city, I carry its memory in my bones, and today, I carry its sorrow.
For years, Teddy Afro has been more than a musician to me. He has been a companion. From the stirring notes of “Yasteryal” to the resonant depths of “Das Tal”, his voice has echoed my own. Through melody and verse, he gives shape to our collective agony, our frustration, our quiet hopes, and our enduring dreams. Listening to him feels like speaking to a friend who truly hears you, a friend who offers not just solace, but a kind of healing. In a time when so many of us feel weighed down by the turmoil tearing at our nation, Teddy’s music acts as a balm. It realigns our inner compass. But now, having found our direction with the new compass, we must ask ourselves: Will we move forward, or fall back into despair?
For over three decades, the political class, especially those claiming to stand in opposition, has failed us. They shift allegiances like changing clothes, breaking promises with ease. They analyze, podcast, and debate, yet remain islands unto themselves, disconnected from the people they claim to represent. They have not mobilized; they have been disillusioned. Once-nationalist voices now champion division; former critics quietly serve the very powers they denounced. How can such figures inspire trust or lead a people longing for unity?
Teddy Afro is different. His consistency is his strength. From the beginning, he has given voice to our fears and our hopes without compromise. His integrity is unquestioned—his message, clear and true.
Now, it is our turn. The time has come to raise our tent, our Das and gather beneath it. This is our moment, perhaps our last chance. Inside this space, we come together not as politicians or intellectuals, but as a people bound by shared grief and shared hope. Here, we mourn for Mekele, for Gojam, for Wellega, for Benishangul for every life lost and every heart broken. We grieve openly, as our culture teaches us listening, holding one another, feeling each other’s pain.
In this gathering, we dismantle the walls of ethnicity and religion that have been used to divide us. We do not avoid sorrow, we embrace it. And through that shared mourning, we find clarity. This is the compass Teddy has recalibrated for us. This is how we navigate forward.
Together, in our tent, amidst tears and remembrance, we will find our way. We do not need distant leaders at all! We will find them among us, those who know our pain because they have lived it. Our path is one of collective healing, collective action. And our destination is to the Tsion Teddy points us toward a place of peace, justice, and restored unity.
But we must begin now. Leave the politicians behind. Leave the empty rhetoric. Come as you are. Raise the tent. Do what we have always known how to do: listen, grieve, and rise together.Our future is waiting. The time is now.
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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