Report: 78 Priests Allegedly ‘Massacred’ in Ethiopia Conflict
11 May 2021
Ethiopian army soldiers and allied Eritrean troops allegedly “massacred” at least 78 priests of the Christian Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Ethiopia’s separatist Tigray region in recent months, Britain’s
Telegraph newspaper reported on Monday.
An official Ethiopian Orthodox Church letter dated April 15 and recently leaked to the newspaper detailed the alleged attack on Tigray priests.
“The letter, which was addressed to the Synod [council] of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, says that ‘priests, deacons, choristers, and monks’ have been ‘massacred’ over the last five months,” the
Telegraph wrote on Monday. “Half a dozen survivors confirmed the news to this newspaper and said that both Ethiopian national army soldiers and Eritrean troops went into their holy spaces across southeast Tigray and ‘shot them down. ”
‘At least’ 78 priests ‘massacred’ in one zone of Tigray, leaked letter claims
The document, obtained exclusively by the Telegraph, claims a number of mass killings have taken place over the last five months
10 May 2021 • 4:45pm
Priests from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church lead the procession during a Sunday morning service in Tigray
Credit: Ben Curtis /AP
At least 78 priests were ‘massacred’ in one zone of Tigray, according to an official church letter leaked to the
Telegraph.
The letter, which was addressed to the Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, says that “priests, deacons, choristers, and monks” have been “massacred” over the last five months.