Orthodox Priests Targeted in Ethiopia Conflict

The Tablet (UK) ^ | 11/10/21 | Abigail Frymann Rouch

[marshmallow]

Eritrean troops involved in the conflict in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia are killing hundreds of Orthodox priests and raping their wives, the religious freedom charity Release International reported.

The charity claims Ethiopian Orthodox clergy are being targeted in the fighting between Tigrayan forces and Ethiopian and Eritrean troops.

Violence began in November 2020 after the Tigray People's Liberation Front, a former ruling party, refused to join a new political party set up by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Tigrayans and other ethnic groups are calling for greater autonomy from the Ethiopian Government. Conflict has spread from the fertile, semi-autonomous region of the country to other regions, and Amnesty International has accused “all sides” in the conflict of human rights violations.

In February, Amnesty confirmed reports of a massacre of “hundreds” of unarmed civilians carried out in late November by Eritrean forces in the Tigrayan holy city of Aksum. Release quoted Orthodox sources this week who said that among those killed there were “at least 78 priests”.

In a press statement from the charity on Monday, an Eritrean Christian and former prisoner with active connections to Christians in the region also said Eritrean troops had continued to kill many more Orthodox clergy for refusing to recognise their authority. She added that her sources told her that soldiers were also raping the priests’ wives.

[hinckley buzzard]

Of course. These are pope Bergoglio’s moslem butt buddies. What else would one expect?

[MarMema]

+memory eternal+

So sad.