Abune Mathias, the 6th patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Photo / APThe head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in his first public comments on the war in the country's Tigray region is sharply criticising Ethiopia's actions, saying he believes it's genocide: "They want to destroy the people of Tigray." "I am not clear why they want to declare genocide on the people of Tigray," Abune Mathias says, speaking in Amharic and listing alleged atrocities including the destruction of churches, massacres, forced starvation and looting. The church patriarch serves alongside a recently returned exile, Abune Merkorios. Abune Mathias, born in 1942, has been outspoken in the past.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 07, 2021 20:48 UTC