Pope Francis has joined other world and religious leaders to appeal for an end to violence and the restoration of peace in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. The Pope’s statement is coming as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia announces an assault on the regional capital.
Pope Francis in a statement posted on his official Twitter handle on Saturday saw him voicing his concern for the situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, as well as surrounding areas.
“I invite everyone to pray for #Ethiopia where armed clashes have intensified and are causing a serious humanitarian situation. I appeal to the parties in conflict so that the violence might ceases, life may be safeguarded and the populations can regain #peace.
We do not live aimlessly and without destination. We are awaited. We are precious. God has prepared for us the most worthy and beautiful place: Paradise,” the tweet from the Pope’s Twitter handle had said on Saturday.
According to the statement by Matteo Bruni, the Vatican Press Office Director, who further buttressed the Pope’s point on the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, said the Pope is following news of the conflict closely.
“Because of the violence, hundreds of civilians have died and tens of thousands of people are forced to flee their homes to Sudan,” the statement read.
“During the Angelus on 8 November, Pope Francis, referring to the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, said: ‘While I urge that the temptation of an armed conflict be rejected, I invite everyone to prayer and to fraternal respect, to dialogue and to a peaceful resolution to the disagreements.’”
In the statement, the Pope also lamented the worsening humanitarian situation.
“The Holy Father, in calling for prayer for this country, appeals to the parties to the conflict to stop the violence, to protect all lives, especially those of civilians, and to restore peace to the people,” the statement added.
Already, Ethiopia’s army chief of staff says the military has control of the capital of the defiant Tigray region, Mekele.
Gen. Birhanu Jula made the comment on the state broadcaster Saturday.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a separate statement, “We have entered Mekele without innocent civilians being targets.”
Tigray TV earlier Saturday reported that the city was being “heavily bombarded.”
With communications cut to the Tigray region, it is difficult to verify claims by the warring sides as Ethiopia’s government pursues the Tigray regional leaders. Each government regards the other as illegal.
Ethiopia’s military launched an offensive on the Tigray regional capital Saturday in a quest to arrest the region’s defiant leaders, and the city was being “heavily bombarded,” Tigray TV reported.
Humanitarians confirmed the shelling in Mekele, a densely populated city of a half-million people, which immediately raised concerns about civilian casualties. The Tigray leader could not be reached, and Ethiopia’s government did not comment.
Ethiopia’s government had warned Mekele residents there would be “no mercy” if they didn’t move away from the leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in time. The United Nations said some residents fled as the military closed in.
“The United States is gravely concerned about the worsening situation in the Tigray region,” the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Kelly Craft, tweeted after the reported bombardment began. She called for dialogue, the protection of civilians and access for aid.