Share

Ethiopia mourns Christians killed by Islamic State

Addis Ababa - Ethiopia began three days of national mourning on Tuesday, with joint Christian and Muslim prayers for more than 20 Ethiopian Christians killed by Islamic State militants in Libya.

The murders have horrified Ethiopians and sparked global condemnation, including from Pope Francis who expressed "great distress and sadness" over the murders.

"They are animals, they are outside of all humanity," said Tesfaye Wolde, who saw his brother Balcha Belete executed on a video released by the militants. "I saw him kneeling, a masked man pointing a gun to my brother and his friend, with a knife to their throats."

"We have a duty to raise our voice to tell the world that the killing of the innocent like animals is completely unacceptable," said Abune Mathias, the patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

"Their actions are repugnant."

Joint prayers were held along with Muslim leaders, led by Sheikh Mohammed Jemal, head of Ethiopia's Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, who said the killing of people like "chickens" had no place in Islam.

Masked fighter in black

The ISIS video, released on Sunday, showed militants in Libya holding captives who they described as "followers of the cross from the enemy Ethiopian Church".

A masked fighter in black brandishing a pistol makes a statement threatening Christians if they do not convert to Islam. The video shows one group of about 12 men being beheaded on a beach and another group of at least 16 being shot in the head in a desert area.

"If IS were religious, they would never have killed human beings," said Kedir Hussein, a Muslim who attended the joint prayers, adding "the death of these young people is like someone was killed in my family".

Almost two-thirds of Ethiopians are Christians, the majority of those Orthodox Copts - who say they have been in the Horn of Africa nation since the first century AD - as well as large numbers of Protestants.

Islam also has an ancient history in Ethiopia, brought to the country by some of the earliest followers of the Prophet Mohammed, who were sheltered there by the Christian king.

Executed before attempting crossing

Tesfaye described how his brother Balcha, an electrician, as well as his friend Eyasu Yekuneamelak - also seen killed on the video - left Ethiopia two months ago seeking work and a better life, heading first for Sudan.

"He left for Libya to go to Italy," he said, speaking to a small crowd who had come to offer their condolences, outside his brick house in the capital Addis Ababa.

But the pair, who left Ethiopia without telling their family, were captured by IS fighters before they could risk the dangerous sea crossing to Europe, where thousands have drowned in rickety boats.

"They wanted to change their lives, improve their condition - life is very difficult here," said Mersha Mitku, a friend of both men.

He knows at least 25 others who took the same route to Libya. Six made it safely to Italy, but he has no news from the others.

Europe's southern shores have been swamped with migrants fleeing war and hardship, hundreds of whom have died in a string of tragic shipwrecks.

An estimated 800 people drowned on Sunday off Libya in the Mediterranean's worst migrant disaster.

More than 11 000 migrants have been rescued by Italian authorities since the middle of last week alone.

"Maybe this story will discourage some for some time, but not for long," Mersha said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 162 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
60% - 238 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.02
-0.6%
Rand - Pound
24.01
-0.5%
Rand - Euro
20.53
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.36
-0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.6%
Platinum
900.50
+0.4%
Palladium
1,002.25
+0.1%
Gold
2,211.80
+0.8%
Silver
24.62
-0.1%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,080
+0.6%
All Share
74,278
+0.5%
Resource 10
56,967
+2.4%
Industrial 25
103,572
+0.3%
Financial 15
16,456
-0.4%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE