Residents put up no resistance to Tigrayan forces, fearing for the ancient rock-hewn churches of LalibelaAmerica is leading calls to safeguard the ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela after fighters from Ethiopia’s Tigray region seized control of the Unesco world heritage site. Fearing for their sites and priceless treasures, residents put up no resistance when forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) swept into their holy town, said Mandefro Tadesse, Lalibela’s deputy mayor. “This is the world’s heritage, and we must co-operate to guarantee that this treasure is preserved,” he told the BBC, adding that hundreds of locals had fled to the nearby hills. SponsoredThe push by the TPLF into the regions of Afar and Amhara, which includes Lalibela, marks fresh humiliation for Abiy Ahmed, the prime minister, in his months-long conflict against the rebels. Alarm over the

Source: The Times August 06, 2021 16:06 UTC