Demeke Zewdu
{{Short description|Ethiopian politician and former army officer}}
{{Infobox person
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| birth_name =
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| birth_place = Telelo, Welkait, Ethiopia
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| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|army officer}}
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| organization = Welkait Committee
| module = {{Infobox military person
|embed = yes
| allegiance = EPRDF
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| battles = Ethiopian Civil War
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| honorific_prefix = Colonel
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Colonel Demeke Zewdu (Amharic: ደመቀ ዘውዱ) is an Ethiopian politician and former army officer who is a key figure in Welkait dispute, advocating Amhara self-government over Welkait district, which is now part of Western Tigray Zone.{{Cite news |date=2022-04-30 |title=Demeke Zewdu, the warlord who wants to avenge the Amhara in Ethiopia |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-afrique/article/2022/04/30/demeke-zewdu-the-warlord-who-wants-to-avenge-the-amhara-in-ethiopia_5982057_12.html |access-date=2024-11-02 |language=en}}
An ardent supporter of Amhara nationalism, he cofounded and led the Welkait Committee to secure the legal status of Welkait as belonging to the Amhara people. He imprisoned in 2016 by the TPLF government but acquitted and released in February 2018.{{Cite web |date=2018-02-16 |title=Charges against Colonel Demeke Zewdu and over 100 others dropped, Federal Prosecutor |url=https://borkena.com/2018/02/16/demeke-zewdu-and-over-100-others-dropped-federal-prosecutor/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Borkena Ethiopian News |language=en-US}}
Life and career
Demeke Zewdu was born into a farming family with a Tigrayan father and an Amhara mother, and grew up in Telelo, in southern Welkait Tegede. During his teenage years, he began a military career by joining the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) insurgency against the Derg regime during the Ethiopian Civil War.{{Cite web |title=Ethiopia: Key players in the Amhara network |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/232829/ethiopia-key-players-in-the-amhara-network/ |access-date=2 November 2024 |website=The Africa Report}}{{Cite web |title= How ethnic killings exploded from an Ethiopian town|website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/ethiopia-conflict-expulsions/}}
Demeke served as the head of Wolkait Committee in 2015, which was consisted of 20 members at that time.{{Cite journal |last=John |first=Sonja |date=August 2021 |title=The Potential of Democratization in Ethiopia: The Welkait Question as a Litmus Test |journal=Journal of Asian and African Studies |language=en |volume=56 |issue=5 |pages=1007–1023 |doi=10.1177/00219096211007657 |issn=0021-9096|doi-access=free }}{{Cite web |last=Endale |first=Ashenafi |date=2023-08-05 |title=Ethiopia Wavers Between Chaos And Compromise In Amhara Region |url=https://thereporterethiopia.com/35818/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=thereporterethiopia.com |language=en-US}} In 2016, Demeke was arrested by the government security force in Gondar after he reportedly killed one of security enforcers in a firefight. He then subsequently transferred to Tigray custody after decision to move in Gondar prison was challenged by residents of Gondar. In February 2018, it was reported that charges against Demeke, General Asaminew Tsige, General Tefera Mamo, Nigist Yirga, Getachew Adamu, Atalay Zerfe and more than 90 others is dropped. Demeke was released from prison on 19 February 2018.{{Cite web |date=2018-02-19 |title=Resistance icon Colonel Demeke Zewdu received hero's welcome |url=https://borkena.com/2018/02/19/colonel-demeke-zewdu-is-released-from-prison/ |access-date=2024-11-02 |website=Borkena Ethiopian News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title= The 'conflict economy' of sesame in Ethiopia and Sudan | 04 the role of sesame in driving rivalries in Ethiopia|url=https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/04/conflict-economy-sesame-ethiopia/04-role-sesame-driving-rivalries-ethiopia}}