An Ethiopian bishop says he has witnessed firsthand the “unspeakable suffering” and death of the people of God in the embattled region of the Horn of Africa nation. Source: CNA.
Bishop Tesfasellassie Medhin, the bishop of Ethiopia’s Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat, which covers the Tigray region, has pleaded for the implementation of the November 2022 peace agreement in Pretoria, South Africa, in which the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) pledged to “permanently silence the guns and end the two years of conflict in northern Ethiopia”.
“I am writing as a religious leader with deep concern and feeling for the pain of tens of millions of our population in the country, especially the children, elders, and women of Tigray,” Bishop Medhin said in a statement.
He painted a grim picture of the situation of the people of God in Tigray, saying: “I am a witness to unspeakable suffering, despair, disease, and death around me due to years of conflict, drought, and localised rain failure as well lack of attention to meet basic needs.”
Violent conflict in the Tigray region started in November 2020 when TPLF allegedly launched an attack on Ethiopia’s Federal Government Army base in the region.
TPLF and people in the Tigray region were reportedly opposed to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s bid to centralise power in Africa’s second most populous country.
In his statement, Bishop Medhin said that millions of people, as well as hundreds of thousands of refugees, have been displaced following the conflicts not only in the region of Tigray but also in neighbouring Afar, Amhara, and Oromia regions.
He said the concerted efforts of his episcopal see in partnership with other entities in reaching out to the needy are insufficient.
He pointed to the Church’s teaching on human dignity as important and emphasised the need to protect the vulnerable. “Every human being is a beloved child of God, deserving of equal dignity and care,” he said.
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‘I’m a witness to unspeakable suffering’: Ethiopia bishop wants peace pact implemented (By Silas Mwale Isenjia, CNA)
