Renewed fighting broke out in northern Ethiopia in late September. Though most of the conflict has been concentrated in the northern Tigray and Amhara regions, several explosions have also occurred in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
Fighting broke out between the Ethiopian government and opposition groups who have formed the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival (EPFAS). The root causes of the renewed conflict have been lingering since the deadly Tigray-war which claimed 500,000 lives and ended with the 2022 Pretoria peace agreement.
Unverified numbers show at least 600 likely deaths and about 150,000 displaced in the first days after the fighting erupted in northern Ethiopia.
Background
Ethiopia has undergone profound political transformation during the last 100 years, moving from a centuries-old monarchy to a Marxist military regime in the 70s, and then to a system of ethnic federalism. More recently the country has faced waves of unrest and civil conflict.
- Emperor Menelik II modernized Ethiopia and defeated Italian invaders in 1896, securing Ethiopia’s status as the only African nation to defeat a European power and escape colonization.
- In 1930, Haile Selassie ascended the throne, steering the country through an Italian occupation and into the Cold War.
- A devastating famine and social unrest led to his overthrow in 1974 by the Derg, a brutal Marxist military junta led by Mengistu Haile Mariam. This regime became notorious for the Red Terror, a violent political campaign that claimed tens of thousands of lives, while the devastating 1983-1985 famine, exacerbated by government policies and severe drought, drew global attention and prompted major international relief efforts. During the same period, the government fought a prolonged civil war against insurgent groups, including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)
- The Derg was overthrown in 1991 by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition dominated by the TPLF. Under Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia adopted a new constitution in 1995 that established an ethnic federal system, dividing the country into regional states based largely on linguistic and ethnic identities.
- While the country experienced rapid economic growth and significant infrastructure development during the EPRDF era (1991-2018), concerns persisted over political repression. In 2018, widespread anti-government protests paved the way for Abiy Ahmed to become prime minister. His early reforms, including the release of political prisoners and a landmark peace agreement with Eritrea, earned him the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Abiy reduced the TPLF’s influence and promoted a more centralized government under the Prosperity Party. Later efforts to secure sea access for landlocked Ethiopia created tensions with Eritrea and Somalia.
In 2020, the TPLF (who ruled from 1991-2018) rebelled against Abiy’s government, triggering the devastating Tigray War between 2020 and 2022. The war caused an estimated 500,000 deaths through fighting, famine, and the breakdown of health services.
Eritrean forces supported the Ethiopian government during the conflict. It ended with a peace agreement signed in Pretoria, though instability and humanitarian challenges continued to affect parts of the country.
Today, the root causes remain unresolved. Armed violence in parts of the country has intensified, while widespread displacement and a deteriorating humanitarian situation persist. The federal government’s authority is increasingly contested amid insurgent activity, popular unrest, and institutional fragmentation.
Where do Christians experience the
most persecution?
Renewed Fighting
According to media reports, several explosions occurred overnight on October 1 in Addis Ababa. These blasts came a week after fighting erupted in the north between the army and a newly launched alliance of armed groups, including forces from the Tigray region.
Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting the alliance of armed groups fighting the Ethiopian government and announced that it was closing its embassy in Eritrea and removing a number of diplomats. Eritrea denied the accusation but reciprocated the severing of diplomatic ties.
Open Doors has received reports that the atmosphere in Addis Ababa is calm but tense with tightened security. There are some concerns over the implications for a big festival in the capital on Saturday.
Doctors Without Borders said that “Between September 22 and 25, the number of war-wounded patients received at Korem and Alamata hospitals surged from roughly 180 to more than 420 within just 48 hours. MSF has also supported an influx of patients at Suhul Hospital in Shire, northwestern Tigray, where more than 300 war-wounded patients arrived by September 25.”
Al-Jazeerah reports that boys as young as 15 were being recruited as fighters.
Persecuted Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) is largely present in the north, and there are some smaller groups of evangelical Christians present.
Orthodox Christians and minorities around Lalibela and Aksum (both considered sacred Christian pilgrimage sites in the EOC), are dependant on tourism for survival. Due to the war in northern Ethiopia from 2020-2022 and the insecurity thereafter, the economy in the region has drastically declined. These towns are in high altitude and mountainous areas, not ideal for farming, making most people dependant on tourism as a means for survival.
Parts of northern Ethiopia are considered the Holy Land for Orthodox Christians. Renewed fighting in the north will certainly make life difficult for all Ethiopians living there, and Christians who belong to minority denominations may also be especially more vulnerable during this time.
Pray
- Please pray for a rapid deescalation in the situation so that peace can be restored. Instability in Ethiopia will be highly detrimental to the entire region where there are already several running conflicts.
- Please pray for restraint among all forces and that there will be no targeting of civilians.
- Pray for the Church to be forces of peace in this situation and have the wisdom to navigate the complexity.
Pray that church members and Open Doors partners will be kept safe as they minister to persecuted Christians.
