Churches and mosques in Ethiopia are being attacked and their sacred treasures looted in a catastrophic conflict in the northern Tigray region that is causing destruction, loss of life and a surge of refugees to Sudan, according to international experts. They are warning of historical vandalism and "cultural cleansing", fearing that religious sites have not been exempt from shelling and that a nation is being robbed of its ancient religious heritage, to the distress of Ethiopians of all faiths. There are reports of Christian manuscripts being stolen from churches and monasteries, and burned - with some manuscripts as old as the 13th century - and of historic Muslim sites being damaged and looted. The looting is about destroying and removing the cultural presence of Tigray. Both the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments have denied reports that Eritrean forces are in Tigray.

Source: Ethiopian News January 17, 2021 09:00 UTC