Reports that senior religious figures have arrived in the Tigrayan capital for a three day visit has been made much of by pro-government Ethiopian websites.
FBC reported:
“A delegation from the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia has travelled to Tigray regional state to discuss with and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need.
The delegation, composed of religious leaders, elders and members of the council, will make a three day visit and meet with members of the community and stakeholders.
The delegation will hold discussions on the challenges faced during the law enforcement operation held in Tigray regional state, particularly damage caused to churches.
Moreover, the delegation will meet with heads of churches and elders as well as regional government officials and security forces.”
But Tigrayan sources have a rather different take on the events.
“Abiy’s delegates arrived in Mekelle and sent invitations today to religious leaders and elders in Togray to participate in the meeting but they have refused to attend. The Patriarch Abune Mathias is reported not to have made the trip to Mekelle.
All shops, hotels and transport are closed to show their opposition.
Some youth are also burning tyres on roadways.
There are also sounds of gunshots around Kebele 17 and 18 (southern part of the city) probably to disperse the youth.”
It is hard to see what the religious delegation will achieve, no matter how well-meaning they are, since Mekelle is in the middle of a war zone.
As leaked recordings from the interim Tigray government admitted, they current administration has very limited authority outside of Mekelle.
Will this delegation be in a position to halt the destruction of religious sites and the looting of churches and mosques - often by Eritrean troops?
The next few weeks will show the value of this visit.
These are the same people who blessed the war. Have they gone there to check how good was their distraction and to their satisfaction. Their presence is a curse and should leave our land immediately
Well said my darling. TGRAYN needed peace and humanitarian aids and medicine 💊…..
Most of all Eritrean troops to be trown out of the country TGRAY.
PEACE FOR THE PEOPLE OF TGRAY….
As of the information I have received, no one will welcome them and participate in the meeting. Where have they been? They supported the government to destroy the churches and mosques of Tigray. That’s all in the mind of all Tigrian.
Very obvious that the visit of the so-called elders to Mekele is meaningless. What do the want to achieve or see? After having blessed the war against Tigray by the ENDF, Amhara Melissa and having been quiet during foreign forces of Eritrea, Somalia and the Emirates were and still are trying to enlish the people of Tigray for more than 3 months, what do they want to do or say now?
His Holiness Patrirch the Holy Synod is under house arrest ,strip off his advisers, because of he serves the according to the guidance the Axumite doctrine of the Spritual centere which relies on the split of religion and State ,but the Amhara elites of Shewa ,their “church” use it for political tool since the 14 th Centuty(see Atse Zera Yakob & his “deeds”)
As an Eritrean I wish may God end all the conflicts and save all the civilians dying. But aren’t these religious leaders the one who suggested that TPLF should discuss with the Federal government peacefully and got rejected. I think we should notice that supporting the TPLF leadership, a criminal one, is another story but as a human being and as a neighbour I feel sad for the Civilian Tigray people killed in the conflict. Let’s not see one side of the situation.
This are the same people who blessed the war on Tigreans.
Those evil has no moral to come and see and talk with Tigreans.
The so called religiouss leader are warmongers. So, we don’t need them.
We know they are sent to for public relations work. To send wrong message to the international community that Tigray is peaceful now and things are back to normal. The truth is Tigrians are dying every day by Abiy and Isayas troops. Sadly, even today unknown number of civilians were killed while they were in peaceful demonstration in Mekelle.
Abiy’s delegates religious leaders and elders should not be welcome in Tigray soil. The Amhara religious leaders and elders gave their blessings to the unelected bloodthirsty fascist Abiy Ahmed and the evil dictator of Eritrean troops to exterminate the people of Tigray; by mass killing, massacred, bombarded by UAE drone, weaponized starvation of 4.5 million, 52 thousand civilians killed, more than 60 thousand fled to Sudan to escape massecare, and more 2million Tigrayan civilians displaced. Those Amharas fake religious leaders and elders gave their blessing for the war on Tigray, to destroy Tigray infrastructures, churches, mosques, historical churches, school and educational buildings, clinics, hospitals, pharmaceutical, warehouses, roads, bridges and other vital infrastructure looted and damaged. Did the Amhara religious leaders go to celebrate the slaughtered of innocent civilian Tigrayans by the Ethiopian and Eritrean troops? Tigrayan victims have been denied to bury their dead? This is an insult for people of Tigray.
Now, they went for third time. Two times to mediate the tension between TPLF and PP, when TPLF was war-drumming. But they were bounced two times, with a disgrace by TPLF. Now, they may have no role, unfortunately!
LOOK HOW the Delegation desperately Begged TPLF leader, when he defied the respected delegate. https://www.facebook.com/tesfaye122/videos/4170612986300368
And yet again, mr.Plaut wishes everything bad to tigrai ppl. Mr.plaut works day and night to help the TPLF as much as he can…
Pls try at least, even if u don’t want, to defferentiate, the ppl of Tigrai from TPLF.
Mr.Martin Plaut is taling the world the reality what you and your bose’s are trying to hide so do i,
There is no difference between TPLF and the people of Tigray specially this time my friend it is the elected government in Tigray that makes it by law they are the same.
Thank you
” diffrentiate the ppl of tigre from tplf” you must not be ok in the head. Tigre is tplf and tplf is tigre.
WAKE UP!
A #somli-ethiopian fedaralist
No no , he is the voice for the voiceless people of Tigray, but you and your government need to get out of our state. #Eritrean forces out of tigray.
2.7 million people voted for TPLF. It is impossible not to equate the people of Tigray with TPLF. This is even more so after the unjust war commenced.
Following the opposition made in mekelle soldiers shooting to the peoples and killing three civilians and injured others today. Unconfirmed information also said that the elders are return back to Addis today.
Those very people who are visiting Tigray are the same people who have been in complete silence for the last three months when Eritrean and the NDF’s sadistic soldiers were burning, clinics, hospitals, health centers, churches, schools, universities, bombing monasteries, looting computers, desks, telephones, executing men, women and children, raping women, killing sheep, goats, cows, mules, horses. The Tigray people never thought in their mind that those would happen in their state in front of their eyes.
This happened by the NDF who the people of Tigray thought they hire through their taxes to protect them and Eritrean mercenaries, (not all Eritreans included here). There are many Eritrean brothers and sisters who are on the side of the victims of Tigray. There is a favor that those people who are visiting Mekelle can do- ask the PP and the Eritrean savages to leave Tigray immediately without any condition.
If they really want to visit Tigray , let them go to Humera Mai-cadra, Axum, Adwa, Adigrat and talk to the victims without the invaders army around. There is nothing in Planet hotel.
It is unfortunate that this group of elders chose to risk their independence by falling victim to Abiy’s lies that Tigray has been subdued and all that remains is for the elders to convince the people that the “law enforcement oparation” has concluded and it is time for peace. Even worse is that some of the elders are said to have beaten the drums of war against Tigray. If this is the case, this is despicable and the group can never be seen as impartial.