"I was able to come this year because there is peace," says Asme Mamo as he joins crowds of worshippers celebrating Orthodox Christmas in the historic Ethiopian town of Lalibela. In recent years, the crowds were much sparser in the Amhara town, one of Ethiopia's holiest and most storied places. Seized by Tigray rebels in an offensive in mid-2021, it was recaptured by pro-government forces on December 1, 2021, before falling back into the hands of TPLF fighters 10 days later. The rebels finally left Lalibela at the end of December that year after they announced a withdrawal to their Tigray stronghold. My prayer and my wish is that God grants freedom for my country, for myself, and for all of us."

Source: Ethiopian News January 07, 2023 19:54 UTC