BY STAFF REPORTER
“Our priest, Woldia Town’s religious father has saved our life. Regardless of our religious background, Aba has saved the lives of Woldia people. I am most grateful for him,” said Melaku Gessese one of Woldia‘s Muslims.
Melaku told local media that Archbishop of Diocese, his Holiness Abune Ermias has saved the lives of the many residents confronting the terrorist group.
His Holiness has been crying and begging the insurgents not to cause any harm on the people. His Holiness shared and provided the people in need what he has; consoling us indiscriminately, despite any religious background. We are indebted to his kindness, selflessness and love he has shown to us. I am short of words to express my gratitude for him, Melaku said while he was out in the street along with the community to celebrate the exclusion of the terrorist group from Woldia Town along with his people.
As Melaku stated, the terrorist TPLF faction killed innocent citizens, gang raped, looted individuals as well as destroyed private and public properties in Woldia Town, North Wolo Zone of Amhara State.
Archbishop of the Diocese, Holiness Abune Ermias also stated faction’s devilish acts. Speaking to local media, His Holiness said that the terrorist TPLF has caused innumerable troubles upon residents of Woldia Town and the Town itself.
According to Abune Ermias, people in rural areas have been living in a better situation compared with that of the towns, because in rural areas there is food, firewood, water and the like. However, people who are residing in towns had been exposed to various hurdles due to lack of water, food, medicine, electricity, firewood or others.
“It is difficult to express people’s feelings when they came to me to find solutions to their problems to the state of starvation in Woldia. Even they urged me to look at their faces. Similarly, there were many newborn babies who slept alone and their mothers wrote me a piece of paper conveying a message like ‘I gave birth peacefully, but there is no any food in my house.”
“Though the atrocity committed by the terrorist group was horrible, we are still here because we did not want to leave the people alone. We have to share their burdens and pains,” he added.
He surprisingly asked, “How the innocent people directly targeted to political purpose. In this regard, Church students who have been nothing to do with politics have been killed.” How anyone who is in his real sense of mind gang rape others’ mothers, sisters and daughters and murder them brutally, he added.
In Woldia Town, a mother is raped by her grandson under gunshot. By the same situation, women who refused to be raped were shot lap by the gun, as to Abune Ermias.
He further stated that members of the rebel group have looted his car but he has never had any political affiliation; rather he is serving Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and its people. Moreover, the terrorist TPLF has looted and damaged community service providing institutions in Woldia Town with a view to directly cause harm on the people, he said.
True the insurgents since expanded their invasion in to Amhara and Afar states, they committed incalculable inhuman crimes against civilians and caused huge property damages. However, contrary to their evil intentions, the people of Ethiopian people are thwarting the group regardless of any differences.
The Ethiopian Herald December 25/2021
