The head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Abuna Matthias, criticized Ethiopia's actions sharply on Friday, describing the situation in the Tigray region as "genocide" and accusing the Addis Ababa government of wanting to eliminate the Tigray people. Abuna Matthias expressed his views in a video recorded last month, addressing tens of millions of church followers and the international community, stating that "his previous attempts to speak to them were blocked," according to the Associated Press.
Speaking in Amharic in the video, Abuna Matthias said, "This is not the fault of the Tigray people. The whole world must know this," recounting what he called "atrocities," including the destruction of churches, forced starvation, and looting. He added, "This bad season will pass," urging the world to intervene to end the conflict.
He continued, "I have said many things, but no one has allowed my message to be published; they faced it with silencing and censorship. Many atrocities have been committed these days across Ethiopia, but what is happening in Tigray is marked by extreme savagery and cruelty."
Dennis Wadley, the director of the U.S.-based "Bridges of Hope" organization and a longtime friend of the Ethiopian church leader, told the Associated Press that "he filmed this video in a moment of urgency during his visit with Abuna Matthias in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, last month."
Abuna Matthias, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox, delivered an Easter Vigil sermon at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa on April 27, 2019 - Reuters.
Wadley added, "I picked up my phone and said if you want to share your comments, let's do it, and I published it," while a church official confirmed the authenticity of the video and "Abuna Matthias's eagerness to have it released."
The Tigray region has seen thousands of deaths in the battle between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, in the northern part of the country, following a political struggle that escalated into bloody conflict last November.
A Stark Condemnation
The remarks of the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch serve as a stark condemnation from a high-ranking individual in Ethiopia at a time when independent journalists face intimidation and harassment, with elections scheduled for next June. The Ethiopian government stated it is "very distressed" over civilian deaths, placing blame on former Tigray leaders and claiming that life has returned to normal in a region inhabited by approximately 6 million people.
The United States estimates that 4 million people, or two-thirds of Tigray's population, are in urgent need of food aid. Manuel Fontaine, director of emergency programs at UNICEF, stated, "What we know is very concerning, but what we do not know could be worse."
The Associated Press noted that Abuna Matthias, born in 1942, is known for his candor and has historically vocalized his positions, being the first church leader to denounce the rule of Ethiopia's communist regime in 1980 and having been forced to live abroad for more than 30 years, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
