ETHIOPIA: Catholic Bishops Urge Parties to Stop War Immediately
Habtamu Abrdew Beture
Recently, clashes erupted between the Amhara militia (Fano) and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) in various locations of the Amhara region in Ethiopia, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia has strongly appealed to government and counter parties to stop the war going on in the country immediately and solve the problems through dialogue.
The conference calls on all believers and people of goodwill to pray for Justice and peace may prevail in Ethiopia. The Bishops’ said that in their official message circulated on August 7, 2023 on the first day of the two-week fasting season of the Assumption of Holy Mary which will be held from August 7 through 22, 2023. The Bishops also urge the people to return hearts to God and repent.
In their message, the bishops remembered the recent war saying, “Many were killed in the recent war in the northern part of our country. Many were injured, suffered from economic, social and psychological damages, and wealth destroyed.
Finally, we all were very pleased that peace has been achieved through dialogue. Yet, we are sorrowed to hear that another war is started before we even taste the results.
We feel that the political willingness of the government is very important for the dialogue to happen. Because we believe that the government above all has the potential to bring Ethiopians, who are brothers and sisters in many ways, together.
It was recalled that the war between the Ethiopian Federal Government and Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) had been concluded in a peace agreement held in Pretoria, South Africa in November 2023 after two years of blood shade.
