As the tension between the Government of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Orthodox Church grows, sub cities in the capital Addis Ababa told schools to close today.
Schools in Addis Ababa are closed today after the families’ got messages from the schools that there will be no school on Friday. One of the messages shared on social media page of a private school in Lemi Kura Sub city reads: “The school is closed tomorrow as the sub city told us to close”.
The closing of the schools came after the Ethiopian Orthodox Church announced that it has organized a global protest on the coming Sunday opposing the government’s interference in its internal affairs. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church says by siding with a separatist group its church the Government of Ethiopia is allowing the death of civilians and robbery of its churches.
Following the recent dispute, some 30 Ethiopian Orthodox followers are killed in Shashemene in Oromia Region by security forces recently for protecting their church from “the politically-motivated” isolated group. Tension has been growing as the dispute between the government and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church grew over the past few weeks, which is forcing the former to deploy red beret soldiers and heavily armed federal police on the streets of major cities including the capital, Addis Ababa.
Reacting to the demonstration call of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Government of Ethiopia has issued three statements within 24 hours stating that there are groups trying to overthrow the government by force using the internal affairs of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
On the contrary the Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims that the Government is siding with a group which launched a coup on the church. Instead of protecting the centuries old Ethiopian Orthodox Church the Government has been allowing the invasions and robbery of its churches by the isolated group, according to the latest statements of Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
One of the claims of the Church includes abduction of the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church at Jimma Airport and killings of civilians who tried to protect their churches from the isolated group. Indicating peaceful demonstration is guaranteed by Ethiopian Constitution the Ethiopian Orthodox Church stated that it will go ahead with its planned demonstrations in Ethiopia peacefully and urged the Ethiopian Government to protect the civilians respecting the constitution.
On its part in one of its statements last night the Government indicated that there will be no protest and it is taking measures against those involved. Some social media sites such as facebook, telegram and tiktok are also blocked or on and off in some parts of the country including Addis Ababa.
It is recalled that in one of its statements about a week ago the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has indicated that it is willing to die / sacrifice lives fighting against those who are working to split the Church into pieces.