Ethiopia Interviews
Away from most media coverage, a brutal war was waged in Northern Ethiopia in 2020 / 2021 between the official government army and Tigray rebels (TPLF). Millions of people were forced to flee, have endured hunger and saw countless number of people killed. For 7 months the village of Lalibela was occupied.
In April 2022 I travelled to Lalibela, interviewing and photographing civilians who had been caught up in the conflict to tell their story. These are their own words.
Emeway Debash
My name is Emeway Debash, I’m 30 years old. I’m the mother to 2 daughters Bethlehem (10) and Yabsira (8). My mother unfortunately passed away, however my father still lives here with us.
I ended my education early, and never received a professional training and am now working as a day labourer. With the little income I receive, I can make it possible for my daughters to attend school. I very much want them to finish their basic education and then go on to university.
My work is irregular and not always predictable. I help families with the preparation of grains to then be milled for cooking or to brew our local beer. With occupation, my work has completely stopped, and I haven’t had any income for the 4 months. There have been countless days when I went hungry just to make sure that my daughters had a little bit something to eat. It was enough just not to die. These months were the worst I’ve ever experienced in my life.
You are the first foreigners I’m telling the story of my rape. This occurred during the second week-long TPLF occupation of Lalibela. When the rebels re-entered last December, they passed by my house. At that time the door was weak. They forcefully knocked on the door demanding to be let in. I pleaded with them, that I’m just a poor woman with my children. I wouldn’t have any possessions and nothing of value to them. I then just turned silent and prayed for them to move on. However, one of them pushed a riffle through a crack in the door and repeated their demand to be let in. Ultimately, they forced the door open and came in. When they came in, they saw my daughters hugging each other in absolute fright, trying to become invisible, in one corner of the room. Three rebels argued between them, debating where to take me. They decided to stay in my home and proceeded to rape me on my bed one after the other. My daughters witnessed everything in horror.
I prefer to end my story here.
Meseret Kassaw
My name is Meseret Kassaw, I’m 25 years old and my daughter Maya Malcom is 3 . I was born and raised here in Lalibela. I used to work at the hotel close by. However, the management let go of me during the pandemic and I have been unable to find a new employment since.
I met my husband Malcom while we both attended school for our vocational hotel services training. We got married 5 years ago. While we initially did have plans to go to a different city, we decided to remain here with our family once Maya was born. Our live was good. We had our own home and have good paying jobs. We even were able to enjoy a few luxuries for ourselves.
Once the TPLF entered Lalibela in July 2021, we were severely restricted in our movements. My Mother unfortunately became very ill during that time, making it impossible for us to flee. Because hospitals and health centres were closed, Malcom and I took daily turns to visit my mother and care for her in her home. When returning home one day, Malcom was confronted by TPLF thugs in the road and fatally shot. His body was ultimately found in the streets.
Life since his death has become very different. I’m filled with an unspeakable amount of pain but must bear the burden. It has been particularly hard for Maya. She does not comprehend what happened with her father and I want to protect her as much as I can.
I still see Malcom’s every time I look into Maya’s eyes. I want to keep him present for her and tell her stories about him in the hope that it eases her pain. I’m fortunate that I can share my pain.
Father Tsige Mesgebu, the administrator of Lalibela monasteries.
I had returned to Lalibela from Addis Ababa only days before the TPLF rebels entered our village last year. Government forces and other officials had already retreated from the area prior to the arrival of the rebels, making us worried about potential violence and structural damage to our churches and other key pieces of our infrastructure. Fortunately, there was no exchange of heavy gunfire, making it possible for our heritage to be preserved.
We, the clergy, some doctors, nurses, and individuals to maintain key pieces of infrastructure, remained and stayed in the village for the entirety of the occupation. I took responsibility and coordinate two principal activities. First, to ensure churches would be protected and always occupied by some 100 guards and members of the church and secondly, to raise more than $120’000. We used the money to pay a portion of the salaries of key workers and buy basic supplies for our hospital.
As telecommunications equipment had been destroyed, the only way for us to communicate with people in the capital, was for someone to send messages from a mountain about 25 km away from here.
Since Christianity became the national religion of Ethiopia in 400 AD, it has always been our role to not only pray for protection and salvation in good times, but to actively support our community through humanitarian work in times of need. We have done this in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
While we may be enjoying our freedom again, we must not forget that other members of our church in the Tigray region are still suffering at this moment.
