Ethiopian Ambassador to UK debunks reports of massacre at church

Addis Ababa, February 2, 2021 (FBC) – Ethiopian Embassy in UK dismissed the reports issued by the Independent Catholic News regarding massacre in Ethiopia.

The embassy said that the reports of a “massacre” at the St Mary Tsion Church in Askum, which houses the Ark of the Covenant, are unfounded and based on unverified reports from the Belgium-based NGO, European External Programme with Africa (EEPA) and rumors from malicious “international experts”.

Ethiopian Ambassador to UK, Teferi Melesse Desta, said in statement that “these very serious claims are the results of a sophisticated disinformation campaign orchestrated by disgruntled political groups bent on stoking instability and using religion as a weapon to sow confusion amongst the international community, in an effort to derail the on-going reforms taking place in my country.”

According to EPA, the statement further said that to publish such claims without verification or evidence to corroborate them is both irresponsible and dangerous.

According to the statement, Ethiopia, a deeply religious society and a country of ancient civilizations with a culture of religious tolerance at their core, is synonymous with a strong tradition of hospitality and respect between its diverse peoples.