A drone strike on an Ethiopian Orthodox monastery during a worship service has reportedly killed two nuns and six priests.
The attack on Abbay Giyorgis St Arsema Unity Monastery in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region took place on 22 July and left many others injured, prompting international condemnation.
While it is unclear who was behind the attack, a report from International Christian Concern has suggested it may have been part of an Ethiopian government operation targeting Fano militants.
The Fano have been engaged in an insurgency since 2018, fighting what they perceive to be threats against their Amhara ethnic group. The Ethiopian government has suggested that Fano fighters may have been hiding at the monastery.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has condemned the attack.
WCC General Secretary Dr Jerry Pillay said, “The reported attack on a place of worship and the killing and wounding of civilians is deeply disturbing and utterly unacceptable.
"Religious institutions and civilians must never be targeted or placed in the path of military operations. The continued violence and reported attacks on civilian communities and religious sites in the Amhara Region must end.”
Dr Pillay called for “an immediate, credible, transparent, and impartial investigation” into the attack to ensure that those responsible are held to account. He extended the WCC's condolences to the families of the victims and said all parties in the conflict should seek to bring things to a peaceful resolution.
Speaking to International Christian Concern, one Ethiopian pastor spoke of the devastating psychological impact of the attack.
“Our churches and monasteries have always been places where people come to seek God, pray, and find peace," he said.
“When a place of worship becomes a place of death, believers begin to ask where they can safely gather. Whether the target was armed fighters or not, the people who died were worshippers, priests, and nuns.
"Families have lost loved ones, and the church is mourning. Innocent people should never pay the price of war.”
However, the pastor also said that hope remained, while asking for prayer from the global Church.
“Buildings can be destroyed, and lives can be taken, but our faith in Christ remains. We continue to pray for peace, justice, and reconciliation for our nation.
"Please remember us in your prayers as well. Pray not only for the families of those who were killed but also for peace in Ethiopia. We ask the global Church to stand with us because our people are exhausted by violence.”
