The Welkite Gurage region in Ethiopia has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently. The government forces killed ten and wounded several residents who were protesting for access to water. The area had been without water for two months, and the people were desperate for help. This tragic incident has brought to light the ongoing struggles that the Gurage region faces in Ethiopia.

Despite the region’s natural resources, the people of Gurage have long been marginalized and neglected by the government. They have been denied basic services such as access to clean water, healthcare, and education. The recent protests in Welkite were a result of the severe water shortage in the area. The people were demanding that the government provide them with clean water, which they believed was their right. However, the government’s response was brutal, and innocent people lost their lives.

The incident in Welkite is not an isolated case. The people of Gurage have been demanding better treatment from the government for years. One of their requests has been for the region to have its own government and autonomy. However, the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly denied their requests for a referendum to form their own region.

The denial of the referendum has caused tensions to rise in the region, and many believe that it is a clear sign of the government’s lack of concern for the people of Gurage. The people of Gurage feel that they are not being heard and that their concerns are being ignored by the central government.

The recent events in Welkite Gurage region in Ethiopia have shed light on the ongoing struggles that the people of Gurage face. They have been denied access to basic services such as water, healthcare, and education, and their requests for autonomy have been repeatedly denied. The government’s brutal response to the protests in Welkite has only served to exacerbate the situation, and it is time for the government to listen to the people’s demands and address their grievances. Only then can we hope for a brighter future for the people of Gurage.