Addis Ababa, 10 September, 2021 / 8:57 pm (ACI Africa).
Catholic Bishops in Ethiopia have, in a message ahead of the country’s New Year Day celebrations, called on the people of God in the Horn of Africa nation to embrace peace amid growing violence.
Ethiopia has been experiencing a humanitarian crisis since last November when war erupted in the country’s Tigray region.
“We encourage those who work for peace and reconciliation in the country and abroad to avoid hate speech and we pray that they will preach love and peace in this new year,” members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) say in the Thursday, September 9 message.
In the message signed by CBCE President, Barhenayesus Cardinal Souraphiel, the Catholic Bishops add, “In our time we have seen the badness of war twice so we will pray for peace and hope this new year.”
Violence in Tigray started when forces from the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) allegedly launched an offensive on Ethiopia’s Federal Government Army base.