Children and Women in the Context of Trans-generational Trauma: Does Armed Conflict Lead to Trauma or does Trauma Lead to Armed Conflict?

Abstract

I started my career in 1979 EC as a graduate assistant in Asmara University at about 22 years
of age. I joined civil servants by then who were donating to the government one month of
their salary divided into 12 months in response to the infamous “Call of the Motherland”.
Nearly 34 years later, as full professor in my middle years, I have come to meet another “Call
of this Motherland” again in 2013 EC. Those who were guerilla fighters by then were able to
seize government power and enjoyed it nearly for 27 years until such time that they were
chased out to the old status three years ago. However, the discourse remains unchanged:
Everything for the same cause, for the same war in the north; the parties are the same, the
location is the same, the fighters are the same; except for the drone. Now, I realized again that
going another 30 years back in history was yemegistunewaygirgir (MengistuNeway’s Protest)
where a lot of people were killed because of the 1955 coup d’état attempt. You can continue
tracing saga of events going back in the history of Ethiopia at regular 30 to 35 years intervals.