Dear Friends,
Events in Ethiopia have changed so quickly over the last week that I have not known what to write. What I can write with confidence is that Ethiopia needs our prayers.
When I left Addis Ababa two weeks ago the city seemed completely normal. The civil war in the Tigray province with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) seemed far away. In the last few days, the TPLF seem to have seized several key cities and cut the road leading to the country’s port in Djibouti.
It isn’t clear how far the TPLF have advanced towards Addis Ababa. They seem to have joined forces with at least one other rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Army, and instead of demanding autonomy for their province have now set a complete takeover of the country as their new goal. Some media outlets have reported rumors of the rebels being on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, but these rumors seem to be exaggerated.
Mission to the World decided early this week to evacuate the only MTW missionaries in Ethiopia. Dr. Tim Love and his family left Ethiopia Thursday night and are staying in Scotland until the situation in Ethiopia becomes clearer. The US embassy has urged all US citizens to leave the country.
Please pray for Ethiopia, the government of Dr. Abiy, our staff and the people we serve in Addis Ababa. Pray for a just peace and protection for the innocent.
Andy Warren