ETHIOPIA: Catholic Bishops in Ethiopia Appeal to Parties in Conflict to Engage in “Genuine Dialogue”
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Catholic Prelates in Ethiopia have condemned the protracted conflict in the country, calling on the involved parties to stop the war and get involved in genuine dialogue so that peace can reign.
The war that broke in the county’s Tigray region in 2020 has since been ongoing and has led to loss of many lives, thousands of people have been forced to flee their land and seek for security while a lot of property has been destroyed.
“The Catholic Bishops Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) renews its appeal to all parties involved in the conflict to drop their guns and start genuine dialogue for the interest of the people, to enable them live in peace,” reads an excerpt of the statement shared with AMECEA Online Wednesday, March 9.
The bishops noted that from the time the war broke, the Catholic Church which comprises of less than 1% of the entire population has been denouncing the war and all its consequences.
Besides, the Catholic Church has been collaborating with stakeholders to prevent conflict in the country through prayer and also making appeal to all concerned parties: “Unfortunately all the efforts made were not successful and the unacceptable war broke out which has brought so much pain and sadness to all.”
In their efforts, the prelates have not only partnered with Catholic agencies and lay faithful abroad and locally to mobilize for resources to support the people affected in conflict areas with humanitarian aid, but have also “invited all Catholics in Ethiopia and people of good will to be instruments of peace and pray for peace in the country.” An appeal which has been realized as “prayer and fasting has been conducted in different occasions.”
In their collective statement, the Bishops have expressed how heartbreaking it is “to see people suffering and left without supplies.”
They promise that the Church will continue to work for all the sufferings “without partiality but by compassion,” as they appeal for protection of human dignity and right.
Consequently, they said, “The Church is following attentively to all professional and legal impartial studies underway on the alleged human rights abuses attached to the war in all conflict areas,” giving reference to the scripture that “the truth will set you free.”
They further underscored that “if war is not thrown out of Ethiopian history by Ethiopians, it is the war that will throw out Ethiopians from the history.”
