The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church publicly declared its support for the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) shortly after the federal government launched its military offensive in Tigray in November 2020. The Church’s subsequent wartime mobilization, including reports of religious leaders traveling to the front lines, raises serious questions about the role of religious institutions in legitimizing and supporting a military campaign that was accompanied by widespread atrocities against civilians in Tigray.
On 17 November 2020, Ethiopia’s state broadcaster, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), and Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported that the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s Holy Synod had expressed its “support and respect” for the ENDF under the slogan “We stand with the national defense forces” (“ከሀገር መከላከያ ጎን እንቆማለን”). The program was opened with a prayer by Patriarch Abune Mathias, and senior bishops participated. According to EBC, officials and employees of the Holy Synod affirmed that they would stand alongside the defense forces and contribute to the country’s peace and unity.
The Church’s involvement, as described by the state media report, went beyond a generic call for peace. The program was organized specifically to express support for what the government characterized as the ENDF’s “law enforcement” and national-survival operation. At the time, the federal government was waging war in Tigray with the involvement of Eritrean forces and Amhara regional forces and militias.
Religious leaders at the war front
The Church’s reported involvement did not end with institutional statements of support.
On 25 November 2021, Walta reported that religious leaders had followed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s call to go to the front lines. The report said the religious leaders had joined the campaign alongside the ENDF, special forces, Fano and militia forces, declaring that they would remain involved until the war ended in victory.
The rhetoric reported by Walta was particularly significant. The religious leaders described the TPLF as an enemy of religion, claiming that it was anti-Orthodox, anti-Muslim and anti-Protestant, and presented military participation as necessary to defeat it. The report also quoted them as saying that going to the front was necessary to destroy the organization.
This framing is important because it demonstrates how religious language was incorporated into the government’s wartime mobilization. Rather than merely calling for an end to violence or praying for the safety of civilians, the reported statements presented participation in the military campaign as a religious and national duty.
The alleged 2.5 million birr transfer
An additional and potentially significant piece of evidence is a leaked letter attributed to the Ethiopian Embassy in London, reproduced below.
The document appears to be official correspondence from the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in London and bears an Ethiopian government seal and signature. According to the document and the accompanying information, 2.5 million Ethiopian birr was transferred in connection with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the military.
If authentic, the document would provide evidence of a financial dimension to the Church’s wartime relationship with the Ethiopian military—moving the issue beyond public statements and symbolic support.