By GEBREWAHID AMHA ABESHA
Between November 2020 and subsequent years, the people of Tigray were subjected to one of the gravest atrocities of the 21st century.
The war against Tigray involved mass killings of civilians, widespread sexual violence, deliberate starvation, destruction of infrastructure, forced displacement, and the systematic dismantling of social institutions.
International human rights organizations, survivors, and independent investigators have documented patterns of violence that meet the legal and moral definitions of genocide.
Yet the devastation of the Tigray genocide extends beyond physical destruction and loss of life. It has penetrated the psychological, social, and political foundations of Tigrayan society, transforming behaviors, relationships, and institutions in ways that continue to threaten unity long after the guns have fallen silent.
The genocide did not merely aim to eliminate bodies; it fractured trust, distorted social norms, and rewired collective behavior.
This article examines how prolonged, unchecked violence cultivated deep sociopolitical dysfunctional traits within Tigray and its Diaspora traits that were not inherent to Tigrayan society but emerged as trauma-driven adaptations to existential threat.
Tigray Before the Genocide: A Society Anchored in Cohesion
Prior to the genocide, Tigray was widely recognized for its strong social cohesion. Communal norms, collective responsibility, and shared historical identity formed the backbone of social life.
Trust was embedded in everyday interactions between families, neighbors, political actors, and civil institutions. While political disagreements existed, they were largely mediated through organized, respectful dialogue rooted in collective survival and shared destiny.
Community structures, traditional conflict-resolution mechanisms, and civic organizations reinforced cooperation. Political pluralism functioned within a framework of mutual accountability.
Even during times of hardship, solidarity remained a defining characteristic of the Tegaru (Tigrayan) society.The genocide shattered this foundation.
Trauma at the Individual Level: Survival as a Psychological Imperative
Genocide is not only an act of mass violence; it is an assault on the human psyche.
For civilians in Tigray, witnessing mass killings, rape used as a weapon of war, starvation sieges, and the disappearance of loved ones forced individuals into a constant survival mode.
In such conditions, trust becomes dangerous. Emotional openness feels unsafe. Hyperawareness, suspicion, and guardedness become essential tools for survival.
Psychological traits such as mistrust, emotional detachment, withdrawal, aggression, and hyper-defensiveness did not arise from ideology or moral failure they emerged as rational responses to extreme threat.
Over time, however, these responses ceased to be temporary. They became normalized patterns of interaction, shaping how individuals related to one another even in the absence of immediate danger.
From Individual Trauma to Collective Dysfunction
When trauma spreads across an entire population, it reshapes society itself. In Tigray, the genocide dismantled the social frameworks that once sustained unity.
Families were torn apart, community organizations collapsed, and traditional mechanisms of dialogue and reconciliation eroded.
Experiences of betrayal, silence, and fear led many to conclude that silence was safer than speaking, and isolation preferable to connection. Cooperation gave way to self-preservation.
Hope was replaced by cynicism. Trust was replaced by suspicion.These emerging dysfunctional traits mistrust, withdrawal, polarization, and hopelessness were not expressions of weakness but consequences of violent disruption.
A society built on collective resilience was pushed into fragmentation by prolonged trauma.
Political Fragmentation: When Survival Overrides Solidarity
The political landscape in Tigray underwent a profound transformation. Political movements that had once coordinated around shared goals splintered under the weight of trauma and suspicion.
A notable example is the internal fragmentation within the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Once known for discipline, unity, and collective decision-making, the TPLF experienced growing internal rifts. These divisions were not primarily ideological; they were driven by survival-based mistrust. Political compromise once viewed as strength began to be interpreted as betrayal. Collaboration was replaced by suspicion, and internal cohesion deteriorated.
This pattern mirrors a broader phenomenon seen in post-genocide societies, where trauma distorts political behavior and erodes the capacity for collective governance.
Established opposition parties are facing growing internal frustration, with some nearing fragmentation.
At the same time, the rapid emergence of numerous new and largely inexperienced political parties underscores an increasingly fragmented political landscape.
Together, these developments reflect deepening divisions and a marked erosion of social and political cohesion.
Media and Academia: From Unity to Polarization
The media landscape also suffered significant deterioration. Media outlets and commentators who once worked to mobilize solidarity and amplify truth increasingly became polarized. Rumors replaced verification. Outrage displaced reflection.
Personal and political agendas overtook collective responsibility, deepening social mistrust rather than healing it.
Similarly, the academic and professional community once a symbol of intellectual unity became fragmented. Scholars who initially collaborated on justice, documentation, and recovery found themselves divided by emotional wounds, political allegiances, and mutual suspicion.
Academic discourse became another arena where trauma manifested as fragmentation.
The Diaspora: Fractured Unity Beyond Borders
The impact of genocide did not stop at Tigray’s borders. The Tigrayan Diaspora, once a cohesive force advocating globally for justice and humanitarian support, has increasingly fragmented. Trauma, combined with distance and competing narratives, fueled infighting, competition for influence, and distrust.
Fundraising efforts once lifelines for displaced civilians and survivors became entangled in skepticism and factional disputes, leaving vulnerable populations without adequate support.
The loss of a unified global voice has weakened international advocacy at a critical moment.
The Tigray Defence Forces: Trauma Within Institutions
Even the Tigray Defence Forces (TDF), once emblematic of unity, discipline, and collective sacrifice, were not immune. Continuous exposure to violence, unresolved trauma, and unclear accountability eroded trust within the institution.
Survival-based loyalties began to supersede institutional cohesion.
Conflicting narratives and internal suspicions hardened into factions, ultimately leading to a split within the TDF. This division reflects not a lack of commitment, but the corrosive impact of trauma on even the strongest collective structures.
Cycles of Dysfunction and the Absence of Accountability
These dysfunctional patterns reinforce themselves. The absence of accountability for atrocities, coupled with ongoing denial, deepens anger and mistrust.
Each unpunished crime reinforces the belief that restraint is irrational and that aggression is necessary for survival.
Over time, trauma-driven behaviors become institutionalized passed horizontally across society and vertically across generations.
What began as survival responses risk becoming permanent sociopolitical habits.
Crucially, this dysfunction must not be mistaken for cultural failure. These traits did not define Tigrayan society before the genocide.
They are predictable outcomes of prolonged exposure to violence without justice, truth, or healing.
Conclusion: Healing as Resistance
The tragedy of Tigray lies not only in physical devastation but in the genocide’s success in fracturing the people psychologically, socially, and politically both at home and across the Diaspora.Healing requires more than rebuilding infrastructure.
It demands collective truth-telling, accountability, trauma-informed mental health care, and inclusive political dialogue. Restoring trust is not a passive process; it is an act of resistance against the forces that sought to dissolve Tigray’s unity.
To reclaim its strength, Tigray must confront the trauma that unraveled its social fabric. Without intentional healing, the genocide’s most enduring legacy will be the normalization of division. With healing, however, unity itself can become a form of justice.
Gebrewahd Amha Abesha is a former assistant professor at Dilla University and is currently an information management technician (GIS) residing in Toronto.
The author is reachable at: gebrewahdabesha@gmail.com
