“Respect our neutrality”: Catholic Relief Service after Killing of Employees in Ethiopia

“CRS operates across all parts of Ethiopia where needs are critical, including areas marked by conflict and high tensions, and we rely on all parties involved to allow us to carry out our work,” they add.

The officials of the Catholic entity underscore the need to have the safety of their employees guaranteed in Ethiopia. 

“Humanitarian workers must be able to operate without fear of harm, and it is essential that all actors respect our neutrality,” they say, and continue, “This safe space is necessary for us to operate at scale and continue providing essential lifesaving support to millions of people in need.”

They also say that the details of the killing of the two CRS employees “remain uncertain”.

“As we continue to mourn the loss of Chuol and Amare, we wish to express our sincere gratitude to all the individuals and groups who have shown the families of our deceased colleagues and us an outpouring of support during this difficult time,” CRS officials further say in their latest statement.

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The messages of support and the prayerful solidarity, they say, “have helped us navigate the emotional and logistical challenges that come with such a devastating loss.”

The Catholic Archbishop of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia is among those who have penned messages of support and expressed closeness to the families of the two slain CRS workers.

In his Easter Message on Sunday, April 16, Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel said that the Church in Ethiopia was saddened by the killing of the two CRS employees and expressed sympathy with their families.

“We are especially sad that two Catholic church workers were killed in the Qobo area. May God visit their families and give them strength for those who died,” said the Local Ordinary of Addis Ababa Archdiocese who doubles as the President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE).

The Ethiopian member of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians/CM) added, “As we ask God to let their souls rest next to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I urge you to pray for the peace that God made on his resurrection. Let's pray for our people, especially on Friday.”

In an April 10 statement, CRS expressed “shock and sorrow” following the killing of the two employees, noting that the slain workers were integral to humanitarian activities in the Horn of Africa nation.

In an April 11 report, CRS Director of Communications, Kim Pozniak, said the killing of the two employees happened in Kobo town in the country’s Amhara region.

Ms. Pozniak explained that the residents of the town “reported heavy artillery fire on Sunday but did not say whether the shootings were linked to the protests.”

According to the April 11 report, thousands have protested across Amhara since Ethiopia’s government announced plans to integrate regional special forces into the federal army on April 6 and residents reported gunfire in at least two towns on April 9.

The report further indicated that politicians and activists have condemned the government’s plan “that requires special forces from each of Ethiopia's 11 regions which enjoy a degree of autonomy, to integrate into the police or the federal army.”

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The politicians have reportedly argued that disbanding Amhara's special forces “would leave the region vulnerable to attacks by neighboring regions including Tigray, whose leaders agreed on a truce with Ethiopia’s government in November to end a two-year war that killed tens of thousands.”

On his part, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, is said to have argued that the integration is necessary on the ground that it will “ensure national unity in a country with a long history of inter-ethnic conflict.”

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