to an immediate halt the military action" which killed dozens of people and "to release the political prisoners as soon as possible."
In a letter to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi obtained by BosNewsLife, WCC General Secretary Samuel Kobia expressed "great sadness" that at least 46 people were killed in a week of political violence in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
The fighting stems from May’s general election, which the opposition claims was stolen by the party of Prime Minister Zenawi, a charge the government rejects.
"The Government has also attacked the opposition leaders arresting key figures and putting them under detention," Kobia noted on behalf of the WCC, which claims to represent churches in 120 countries in all continents. Kobia, who met Prime Minister Zenawi in September when visiting WCC member churches in the country, said the government must conduct an "honest dialogue with the opposition."
MILITARY ACTION
He warned that "further military action against the people is an escalation of violence and will further damage the political climate and make dialogue even less possible".
The WCC leader said he also wrote to the leadership of opposition groups Coalition for Unity and Democracy and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces asking them "to resolve the political impasse through dialogue".
"It is therefore with great sadness that I have learned of the death of many Ethiopians following demonstrations and riots in Addis Ababa this week. Many others are wounded and remain in hospital," he added in the letter to the prime minister.
INTERNATIONAL CONCERN
"These developments are not likely to lead to a peaceful resolution, but instead would
aggravate the situation," Kobia said. The United States and the European Union also urged the Ethiopian government "to stop using lethal force" against demonstrators, and to release political detainees, BosNewsLife monitored.
The violence is also impacting churches in Ethiopia, where especially evangelical Christians have suffered persecution, human rights watchers suggest.
In September, Kobia discussed the political tensions with the leadership of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the largest and oldest church on the African continent, with an estimated 38 million members.
ANCIENT CHURCH
"Ethiopians have been part of the church from the very beginning, and Ethiopia is a country with a profound spiritual ancestry," Kobia said at the time.
"The ancient church and the culture of Ethiopia continue to offer a source of identity and dignity for many Africans and to humankind. Ethiopia is going through challenging and trying times, and the WCC desires to be with the church and the people in times of difficulty as well as joy," he said.
There is concern among Christians and other observers that a new war will break out between Ethiopia and its neighbor Eritrea, as embattled governments in both countries try to move attention away from internal political opposition.
THOUSAND KILLED
The 1998-2000 border conflict between the two Horn of Africa countries killed an estimated 70,000 people from both sides.
In an effort to ease border tensions, the United Nations Security Council envoy, Ambassador Kenzo Oshima arrived in Addis Ababa to meet UN peacekeeping officials and government representatives, said the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) on Monday, November 7.
He will also assess troop movements along the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea and consider the danger of an escalation into war, IRIN reported. (With BosNewsLife News Center and reports from Ethiopia).
