Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
Holy Silence or Moral Complicity?
A Critical Response to the Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church Synod’s Recent Initiative Toward the Ethiopian Prime Minister
Prepared by: Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice (TAHRJ)
Executive Summary
The Holy Synod of the Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church (HOTC) has recently announced its decision to send a delegation of elders to engage Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tigray’s aspirations for peace. While the gesture may appear constructive on the surface, it has alsotriggered profound dismay among those who have long waited for the Church to stand with the sufering.As an organization dedicated to human dignity, justice, and post-genocide accountability, Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice (TAHRJ) welcomes sincere eforts for peace.However, we must confront the disturbing silence of the Synod over the past four years and challenge the moral ambiguity and political accommodation this recent action suggests. At stake is not merely a symbolic gesture. It is the credibility, conscience, and historical legacyof one of Tigray’s most revered institutions.
Where Was the Church When Tigray Bled?
The Deafening Silence in a Post-Genocide Tigray
Tigray has endured one of the most catastrophic wars in modern African history.Since 2020, hundreds of thousands have perished. Millions have been displaced. Rape,starvation, aerial bombardment, and ethnic cleansing were deployed as tools of war with thecomplicity of external powers and the betrayal of internal actorsAnd yet through this post genocide, peace and security, and deliberate sabotage of post-warrecovery the Holy Synod remained largely silent.Even after the signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement, the sufering of Tigrayans has notceased. A corrupt TPLF elite faction, shielded by military actors, has obstructed reform and hijacked the return process of displaced persons deliberately stalling justice, economic recovery, and civilian rehabilitation for political gain.
And the Church? It watched quietly.
Where were your sermons when youth were hunted down in Adigrat, Wukro, Samre, Adi Gudem, Tembien, Shire, Adwa, and Sheraro?By the above core military forces Where was your protest when Tigrayan IDPs were abandoned in make shift camps, denied foodand shelter?Where was your outrage when illegal gold mining, controlled by TPLF-aligned military elites,devastated entire communities across Northwestern Tigray polluting rivers, destroyingfarmland, and wrecking lives?
How could this unfold under the watch of your own headquarters in Aksum, the holy city ofTigray?
Why did the Church remain silent while injustice reigned in full view by both foreign invadersand Tigrayan powerbrokers?
When Justice Was Assassinated: The Zewdu Haftu Case One of the most egregious symbols of moral collapse in post-war Tigray is the assassination of Zewdu Haftu, a courageous young woman professional and advocate for justice. She wasgunned down in broad daylight a targeted killing that shocked the conscience of the region.Her case remains unresolved. Investigations have been obstructed, allegedly by high-rankingmilitary figures including Colonel Gebreselassie Belay, father of a prime suspect.And the Church? Again, it said nothing.
Did you ofer moral support to Zewdu’s grieving family? Did you speak up in defense of judicial independence? Or does the life of a Tigrayan woman lawyer matter less than preserving silence with thepowerful? Silence in the face of state-enabled murder is not spiritual neutrality it is moral complicity.
A Church Captured?
Religious Compromise and Political CollusionA growing number of Tigrayans now believe the Synod has been politically compromised either co-opted by, or submissive to, the interests of the TPLF’s “Above theCore” military-political elite.Where was the Church when a military faction illegally attempted a coup against InterimPresident Getachew Reda, threatening the fragile democratic transition?
Why did the Synod remain silent during the unconstitutional seizure of district ofices and suppression of civil governance?
Why has there been no ecclesiastical condemnation of internal power-grabs that violated bothlaw and public trust?
Is the Church still the moral voice of the people, or has it become a quiet partner to those whobetrayed the revolution?
Accountability Begins at Home
Financial Ethics and Institutional Transparency in the Synod
If the Holy Synod seeks to regain its authority as a spiritual leader, it must first confront seriousquestions about its own ethical and financial integrity. How is it morally acceptable that bishops earn 125,000 ETB or more per month, while millions ofTigrayans face starvation and displacement?
What systems exist to ensure financial transparency and prevent embezzlement or abuse of Church resources?
Has the Synod investigated reports of internal corruption or misuse of humanitarian aid?
The credibility of your voice depends not on the power of your prayers, but on the integrity ofyour practices.
Peace Without Truth Is Betrayal
Why Symbolism Is Not Enough
The decision to send a delegation of elders to Addis Ababa may be seen as an olivebranch but without a principled mandate, it risks becoming a dangerous performance.What exactly will your representatives demand from the Prime Minister?
Will they insist on justice for the war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and sexual violence thatTigrayans endured?
Will they publicly condemn the secretive and shameful alliance between TPLF elites and theEritrean regime under the name “ጽምዶ”?
Will they support an independent international tribunal to prosecute crimes against humanitycommitted during the war?A meeting with Abiy Ahmed without a commitment to truth and justice is not reconciliation itis surrender. Moral Leadership in a Time of RuinsLet us be clear: these questions are not attacks. They are calls for accountability born out ofdeep reverence for the role the Orthodox Church plays in Tigrayan society.You are not a peripheral institution. You are the custodian of Tigray’s spiritual legacy. But legacy without courage becomes empty ritual.Now is the time for the Holy Synod to choose:
Comfort or conviction?
Prophetic truth or institutional survival?The people’s voice or power’s silence?> History will not remember the Church’s quiet diplomacy. It will remember whether it stood withthe people in their hour of need.
Conclusion
The Tigrayan people are not simply asking for peace. They are demanding justice, dignity, and moral leadership in a time of betrayal.If the Holy Synod intends to speak on behalf of Tigray before Abiy Ahmed, it must first speak honestly to the people of Tigray and to itself.Peace must be built on truth. And truth begins with courage at home. Tigrayan Advocacy for Human Rights and Justice (TAHRJ) Email: tahrj@outlook.com
Voice for Truth. Stand for Justice. Act for Accountability.
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Arab Media Grapples with Ethiopia’s Power Surge: GERD Completion Dominates Headlines
By Kasim Mohammod
When Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially announced the full completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Africa’s largest hydroelectric power project it wasn’t just local or continental media that paid attention. Across the Arab world, major news outlets broke into urgent coverage, panel discussions, and emotional op-eds. The reaction was swift, widespread, and, in many quarters, deeply anxious.
From Cairo to Riyadh, Doha to Dubai, mainstream Arab media is reckoning with the reality: Ethiopia has pulled off the unthinkable. Against odds diplomatic pressure, civil war, foreign lobbying, and economic blockades Ethiopia has finished a project that shifts the power dynamics of the Nile Basin and, arguably, the African continent.
A Bold African Story Echoes Across Arab Screens
In the hours following Prime Minister Abiy’s announcement, Arab broadcasters went live with breaking news alerts. Al Jazeera Arabic opened its primetime segment with sweeping drone footage of the dam, calling it a “monumental geopolitical transformation.” Al Arabiya, the Saudi-owned news network, featured panels discussing Ethiopia’s rise and Egypt’s narrowing options. Sky News Arabia, Al-Qahera News, and Youm7 all placed the story front and center.
The messaging across Arab outlets, though varied in tone, shared a common undercurrent: shock and recalibration. While some platforms treated the news with analytical composure, others displayed alarm over what Ethiopia’s victory means for Egypt’s historic grip on Nile waters.
One Egyptian columnist wrote in Al-Masry Al-Youm:
“We used to say the Nile is Egypt’s gift. But today, Ethiopia has made it their engine of growth. We must now admit this is no longer our river alone.”
Another commentator on ONTV posed the question:
“Has Egypt lost the battle before it even began?”
From Denial to Realism: The Tone Shift is Obvious
For much of the last decade, Arab media particularly Egyptian outlets projected confidence that GERD would either be delayed, downsized, or dismantled through diplomatic pressure or international mediation. Ethiopia was portrayed as reckless, unilateral, even dangerous.
But the tone has changed.
Now, there is grudging recognition even admiration in some circles. Ethiopian resolve is no longer dismissed; it is being studied.
Commentators on Al Jazeera and BBC Arabic noted Ethiopia’s ability to mobilize internal unity and diaspora resources, bypassing Western loans and building a dam funded largely by Ethiopians themselves. One Jordanian analyst remarked, “This is an African story of sovereignty and determination. It deserves attention, not just concern.”
Why the Arab Media is So Invested
Egypt’s stake in the Nile is no secret. With 90% of its freshwater needs sourced from the river, any upstream development triggers anxiety. The GERD, now complete, is a reality Cairo cannot ignore and Arab media reflects that unease.
But more broadly, the Arab region has long viewed the Nile Basin through a geopolitical lens. Control of water equates to influence. Now that Ethiopia has shown it can dam the Blue Nile and generate 6,000 MW of clean energy, the balance of power is shifting and Arab commentators are scrambling to interpret what this means.
A Story of African Power, Told Loud and Clear
For Ethiopia, Arab media’s attention whether sympathetic or critical is a measure of impact. The country that once fought colonial aggression at Adwa now stands as a symbol of pan-African potential. GERD is not just a dam; it’s a declaration.
And now, Arab media is echoing that declaration whether they like it or not.
In Addis Ababa and beyond, many Ethiopians see this coverage as vindication. For years, they were warned not to build, told they couldn’t succeed, pressured to stop. Now, the same voices that once doubted are watching some in admiration, others in alarm.
But all are watching.
As Ethiopia lights up its cities and exports electricity to neighbours, Arab media will likely continue covering GERD not just as a threat to Egypt, but as a symbol of a continent no longer asking for permission.
