Ethiopia (MNN) — Drone strikes killed 10 civilians yesterday in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region. One Christian woman died after her house was hit.
Eric Foley with The Voice of the Martyrs Korea says, “The Christian community is mourning. Pastor T approached me and asked that we raise up prayers for Ethiopia, Tigray, for the Tigray Christians, and all the Christians in Ethiopia.”
“I have every reason to believe that she was probably on her knees in prayer the time that it happened.”
The attacks wounded 13 people as well. But hospitals in Tigray have been cut off from vital supplies, putting the wounded in more danger.
Civil war
The civil war in Ethiopia ignited again in recent weeks. Over the weekend, the Tigray Liberation Front offered a ceasefire, but the Ethiopian central government has yet to respond.
Unfortunately, some Christians within Ethiopia have advocated for continuing attacks. Foley says, “People calling themselves prophets have arisen among the evangelical leaders, who are quite strong across Ethiopia in their support of the government. And they’ve shared the message to say, ‘God is with you. Now is the time to move forward with the attack.’ Pastor T and other Tigray Christians are grieved. For them, it is a time of real mourning for the death of their Christian sister.”
How to pray
Foley asked Pastor T about conditions in the Tigray region after many months of fighting. “He noted the ongoing challenges that electricity is off and banks are closed. But he said churches continued to meet. This was his quote to me, ‘Under the pressure of hunger and lack of peace, still, they worship and serve the Lord. They are like North Korean and Chinese Christians.’”
Pray for peace in the Tigray region, and ask God to bring unity to the Church in Ethiopia. Foley says, “Pray Christians would be able to differentiate between politics and faith.”
The header photo shows an airstrike hitting Mekelle earlier in the war. (Photo courtesy of VOA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
