Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin from Adigrat diocese in Tigray Ethiopia tells Pat Coyle of Irish Jesuit Communiciations about the two-year invasion of his diocese by Ethiopian government forces assisted by Somalian and Eritrean mercenaries.
Over one million people were murdered and almost three million people displaced during the ensuing war. The invasion was marked by human rights violations, including torture and sexual assaults.
The Bishop was in Ireland this June to address CIDSE – the International Cooperation for Development Solidarity group. CIDSE is an international alliance of seventeen Catholic development agencies from North America and Europe, fighting poverty and inequality by working together for global justice. Given the scale of destruction visited on his diocese, and the fact that peace-building and trauma healing is a slow process, Bishop Tesfa says he is grateful for any support he receives.
