(CBN) – During the past two years since a young prime minister has taken over as the new leader of Ethiopia, more than 30 churches have been attacked with more than half of the buildings burned to the ground. In addition, clergy and church members have also been killed trying to defend their church buildings against attacks from ethnic mobs. The churches being targeted belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), which has a long and colorful history in the African nation.
Christianity Today reports Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a Christian and a member of the Full Gospel Believers Church, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month for his “efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation.” But some in the country say the peace prize was premature. On Monday, Ahmed announced almost 90 people in his country had been killed during the month of October, victims of the unusual unrest and recurring ethnic and religious violence.
Ethiopia is a nation of contrasts. It is one of the world’s most religious countries. Ninety-eight percent of the population claim some kind of religious affiliation, according to the New African Magazine. However, the country has always been marked by ethnic strife. Last year, Ethiopia’s rate of internally displaced persons exceeded Syria’s. The nation currently leads the world with 2.9 million people displaced by violence, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center. READ MORE
