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Ethiopia: The rebels from Tigray conquered the town of Lalibela, a World Heritage Site

Rebel forces continue to advance into neighboring districts, taking over the town of Amhara district where ancient stone churches.

Residents fled, and the deputy mayor fears for the fate of the place: "We must cooperate to ensure that this treasure is preserved"

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• Ethiopia

• Tigray

News agencies

Thursday, 05 August 2021, 22:06

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The churches in Lalibela were built as a substitute for a pilgrimage to Eretz Israel (Photo: ShutterStock)

Rebels in the northern Ethiopian province Tigray Region took over today (Thursday) in the town of Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage neighboring Amhara province. According to eyewitnesses, residents fled the advancing Tigrayan People's Liberation Front beyond the borders of the county.

The town, which are housed in churches carved into the rock The 13th, is a holy site for millions of Orthodox Christians.The deputy mayor, Mandafro Tadessa, told the BBC that it had fallen to the rebels from Tigray without a fight, but added that the residents had fled and that he was worried about the fate of the churches. The interim as a substitute for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which was not possible then.

"This is a world heritage, and we must work together to ensure that this treasure is preserved," Mandafro said.

More about the war in Ethiopia

The rebels recaptured the capital Tigray, the army declared a ceasefire

To the full article

Thousands of people have been killed since the outbreak of the Thigra war last November, and the fighting is now spreading to the Amhara and dirt districts bordering Thigra, despite a unilateral ceasefire declared by the Ethiopian government in June after rebels recaptured the Thigra capital. Millions of people have been displaced from their homes during the conflict, and all parties are accused of human rights violations and war crimes.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray led the regional government in the province until it was overthrown by Ethiopian military forces in November, and it has since been defined as a terrorist organization by the government of Abbey Ahmad. However, the rebels say they are Tigray's legitimate regional government.

Earlier this week, a rebel general told the BBC that the aim of the latest attack was to force the federal government to lift the siege on Tigray and agree to a political solution to the crisis. The government denies that it is preventing the entry of humanitarian supplies and has rejected calls for negotiations. However, the recent territorial achievements of the rebels in Amhara and Dirt have provoked international criticism, and the UN and the United States this week called on all sides to keep the fire

under the Ethiopian government, more than 300,000 people have been displaced from Amhara and Dirt since the war spread to their territories in recent days.

At the same time, the UN said 175 trucks with humanitarian aid had reached Tigray, but the head of the UN World Food Program warned that more than a hundred trucks a day were needed to help the millions of residents on the verge of starvation.

Aid workers have difficulty reaching Tigray due to the security situation and bureaucratic obstacles.

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