Medhane-Alem church massacre in Gu'itelo

Medhane-Alem church massacre
	Part of Tigray War
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Target	Tigrayans
Attack type	Mass killing; Ethnic cleansing;
Deaths	46 civilians
Perpetrators	Eritrean Defence Forces

Coordinates: 14°22′35″N 39°29′25″E / 14.37633°N 39.49041°E / 14.37633; 39.49041

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The Medhane-Alem church massacre was a mass extrajudicial killing that took place in Gu'itelo (Tigrinya: ጉዕተሎ) in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia during the Tigray War, on 5 January 2021.^[1] Gu'itelo is a village that belongs to tabiya Hayelom, woreda Gulomahda, Eastern zone of Tigray.

Massacre[edit]

The Eritrean Defence Forces killed 30 civilians in the Medhane Alem church of Gu'itelo (Eastern Tigray) on 5 January 2021, an additional 11 people in the adjacent village of Firedashum and 5 in Ara’iro.^[1] Among the victims are numerous priests and deacons.^[2]^[3] The massacre took place on the very day of the annual holiday of "Medhane Alem" or "Jesus the Saviour", patron saint of the church.^[4] After shelling the church,

the Eritrean troops came to the church, asked the remaining congregants to stand in one line. They then shot them dead. They also went to the small residence of the church’s elderly teacher, Priest Kidanemariam Teferi. In the house were other three scholars of the church who were with him after the church service was discontinued. These were Priest Gebreyohannes Desta, Priest Desalegn Kahsay (Meri-Geta) and Priest Gebre Atsbeha. The Eritrean troops shot four of them dead in the small house. — Witnesses, Gu'itelo, ^[4]

In line with historical studies of massacres, including those committed during the Armenian genocide,^[5]^[6] a massacre can be defined as a conflict incident in which at least five unarmed civilians were killed on the same day at the same location. Typical massacres committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers in the Tigray war are (1) revenge when they lose a battle; (2) to terrorise and extract information about whereabouts of TPLF leaders; (3) murder of suspected family members of TDF fighters;^[7] and (4) terrorising the Tigray society as a whole such as in case of mass killings in churches.^[8]

Perpetrators[edit]

Relatives and witnesses interpreted the identity of the perpetrators as Eritrean soldiers.^[9]

Victims[edit]

The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation” mentions approximately 45 victims that day, in the church and the adjacent villages Ara’iro and Firedashum combined;^[1] 30 civilians killed in the Medhane Alem church have been identified:^[9]^[4]

Abrehet Oqubazgi
Angesom Gebreselassie Tadesse (Wedi Ageray) (30)
Atakilti Mesele Gebreyohannes
Bekuretsion Desta
Berhe Desta Weldegebriel (Deacon)
Birhan Gebretsadik
Birhane Gebrearegawi
Birhane Gebresilassie (Deacon)
Birhane Gebreyesus
Desalegn Tesfu Hagos
Destalem Girmay
Etay Zehafta (Nun)
Girmay Niguse
Hadega Lemma
Hagos Hailu
Kahsa Gebre
Kidan Reda
Kidan Weldu
Kidane Teklehaimanot
Letay Gebremariam
Mihret Gebreezgi
Mikyas Girmay Niguse (Child)
Priest Desalegn Kahsay (Meri-Geta) (60)
Priest Gebre Atsbeha
Priest Gebreyohannes Desta
Priest Hadush Hailemariam
Priest Kidanemariam Tesfay (Meri-Geta)
Priest Nega Tesfay (Aba Majur)
Tesfay Gebreselassie
Tsigab Alem Fitwi (Deacon)

Reactions[edit]

Strong reactions came from the UN Human Rights Council^[2] and Christian Solidarity Worldwide.^[3] The “Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation”,^[1] that documented this massacre received international media attention, particularly with regard its Annex A, that lists the massacres.^[8]^[10]^[11]^[12]

Neither the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, nor Ethiopian government officials visited or comforted the parishers.^[4] After months of denial by the Ethiopian authorities that massacres occurred in Tigray, a joint investigation by OHCHR and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has been announced in March 2021.^[13]

While the Ethiopian government promised that Eritrean troops will be pulled out from Tigray, the Eritrean government denies any participation in warfare in Tigray, let alone in massacres.^[14]

References[edit]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 UN Human Rights Council, 10 February 2021. Eritrea’s Military Involvement in Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict should be investigated
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Freedom of Religion or Belief in Full, 4 February 2021. Massacres, starvation and wanton destruction: The international community must act swiftly to save Ethiopia’s Tigray region
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 Tghat, 3 May 2021. Massacre in the church of Medhanie Alem Gu’etelo, on the parish’s most important day of the year, the Festival of Jesus the Savior of Gu’etolo
↑ Levene, Mark; Roberts, Penny (January 1, 1999). The Massacre in History. Berghahn Books. p. 90. ISBN 978-1-57181-934-5. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help) Search this book on
↑ Melson, Robert (July 1982). "Theoretical Inquiry into the Armenian Massacres of 1894–1896". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 24 (3): 482–3. doi:10.1017/s0010417500010100.
↑ Tigray Defence Forces, a military structure that came into existence during the Tigray War, consisting of a merger of Special Forces of the Tigray Regional Government, defected soldiers of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, local militia, members of Tigrayan political parties (TPLF, National Congress of Great Tigray, Salsay Weyane Tigray, Tigray Independence Party, ...) and numerous youth who fled to the mountains.
↑ ^8.0 ^8.1 The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in Tigray
↑ ^9.0 ^9.1 TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources
↑ EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region
↑ CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre
↑ The Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified
↑ France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe
↑ DW, 19 March 2021: Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?

External links[edit]

Twitter: author @tvbempt; hashtags #NeverForget #SayTheirNames #araero or #guetelo
World Peace Foundation: Starving Tigray
Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation
TGHAT: A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources

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[atlas-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Annys, S., Vanden Bempt, T., Negash, E., De Sloover, L., Nyssen, J., 2021. Tigray: Atlas of the humanitarian situation

[unhrc20210210-2] 2.0 ^2.1 UN Human Rights Council, 10 February 2021. Eritrea’s Military Involvement in Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict should be investigated

[csw-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Freedom of Religion or Belief in Full, 4 February 2021. Massacres, starvation and wanton destruction: The international community must act swiftly to save Ethiopia’s Tigray region

[TGHATguetelo-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 Tghat, 3 May 2021. Massacre in the church of Medhanie Alem Gu’etelo, on the parish’s most important day of the year, the Festival of Jesus the Savior of Gu’etolo

[5] Levene, Mark; Roberts, Penny (January 1, 1999). The Massacre in History. Berghahn Books. p. 90. ISBN 978-1-57181-934-5. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help) Search this book on

[6] Melson, Robert (July 1982). "Theoretical Inquiry into the Armenian Massacres of 1894–1896". Comparative Studies in Society and History. 24 (3): 482–3. doi:10.1017/s0010417500010100.

[7] Tigray Defence Forces, a military structure that came into existence during the Tigray War, consisting of a merger of Special Forces of the Tigray Regional Government, defected soldiers of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, local militia, members of Tigrayan political parties (TPLF, National Congress of Great Tigray, Salsay Weyane Tigray, Tigray Independence Party, ...) and numerous youth who fled to the mountains.

[world-8] 8.0 ^8.1 The World radio (2 April 2021): Counting the victims in Tigray

[tghat-9] 9.0 ^9.1 TGHAT, A compilation of the verified list of civilian victims from different sources

[10] EuroNews, 2 April 2021 – See film embedded in the news item: G7 'seriously concerned' about human rights violations in Ethiopia's Tigray region

[11] CBC, 2 April 2021: As It Happens: The Friday Edition (from 28:00 to 35:30) Tigray, Ethiopia Massacre

[12] The Guardian, 2 April 2021: Ethiopia: 1,900 people killed in massacres in Tigray identified

[13] France24, 18 March 2021: UN rights chief agrees to joint Tigray probe

[14] DW, 19 March 2021: Fact check: Are other nations involved in the war in Tigray?

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