Displaying items by tag: ethnic violence

Over a hundred churches have been burned down in Manipur. The number of dead and injured is difficult to verify. The BBC reported 60 dead, 200 injured, and tens of thousands displaced. 53% of Manipur’s population are Meitei (Hindus with some Christians). Two tribal groups are Naga and Kuki - Christians with ‘scheduled tribe’ status, which grants access to forests, government jobs, and education. Last week the Meitei demanded access to the status. Violence broke out between Kuki and Meitei. Thousands of troops have been deployed, and thousands moved to safety. The Riverside Christian Mission sent the following request: ‘Riverside has partnered with various ministries in Manipur for many peaceful years. Suddenly, terrible violence erupted between Meitei and Christian hill people. 80% of the people who have been killed are Christians. Everything which had a Christian identity or Christian mark was attacked by the majority community in Manipur. Many have fled. Please pray for God’s protection over these dear people, and that the soldiers stop the violence.’

Ashenafi Hailu was racing on his motorcycle to the aid of a friend trapped by the Ethiopian government’s military offensive in the Tigray region when a group of men on foot confronted him, identifying themselves as militia members of a rival ethnic group. They dragged him by a noose to save bullets. As the noose tightened around his neck he thought he would die. He passed out and awoke alone near a pile of bodies. His motorcycle and cash were gone. Nearly 50,000 Ethiopians fleeing Tigray have sought safety in Sudan, in what the UN called the worst exodus of refugees Ethiopia has seen in over two decades. Reports of looting, ethnic antagonism, and killings are at odds with Ethiopia’s prime minister saying, ‘No civilians are being hurt.’ Worrying prospects are that the fighting is degenerating into a guerrilla war that could unravel both Ethiopia’s national fabric and the stability of the entire Horn of Africa region, including Eritrea and Sudan.