The village of Lalibela, whose iconic rock-hewn cathedrals are a United Nations World Heritage site, has been taken over by forces from Ethiopia's Tigray province, and witnesses say civilians are fleeing.
Lalibela, a holy location for millions of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, is located in the North Wollo Zone of Ethiopia's Amhara region, where fierce fighting has forced the displacement of an estimated 2500 people.
Senior United Nations and US government officials who visited Ethiopia this week expressed concern about the fighting in Tigray spreading to other parts of northern Ethiopia.
On Thursday, Seyfu, a Lalibela resident who talked to Reuters by phone, said he saw hundreds of armed men strolling around the town speaking Tigrinya, the Tigrinyan language. He claimed they were not speaking Amharic, the Lalibela people's language, and were dressed in "different uniforms" than the federal soldiers.
According to Seyfu, soldiers from the Amhara region, which are linked with Ethiopia's central government, departed with local leaders on Wednesday night.
“We begged them to stay or, at the very least, hand over their Kalashnikovs, but they refused and fled, taking five ambulances, several trucks, and several cars with them. While fleeing, they shot and killed a buddy of mine who was pleading with them to stay to protect civilians,” he said.
Dawit, a second guy, told Reuters over the phone that he escaped Lalibela on Thursday morning as Tigrayan soldiers approached. “We had to leave on foot; about 200 of us left.”
The information provided by the eyewitnesses could not be independently verified by Reuters. Requests for comment from the Prime Minister's office, the Ethiopian military, and a government task team in Tigray were not immediately returned. The Tigrayan forces' spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
Around noon, Daniel, a third Lalibela resident, told Reuters by phone that he witnessed hundreds of soldiers enter the town. He claimed to have gone to the highlands beyond the holy city, leaving only women and children behind.
When the Tigrayan army arrived in Lalibela, he claimed there was no fighting.
As Washington grows increasingly concerned about the conflict's expansion, it has urged Tigrayan forces to safeguard the town's cultural legacy.
“We've heard that Tigrayan forces have captured Lalibela. State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters, "We call on the TPLF to protect this cultural heritage."
In Africa's second-most populous country, Lalibela is a popular tourist attraction. After a battle started out in Tigray in November of last year between the federal army and the Tigray People's Liberation Forces, visitor numbers plummeted.
After taking Mekelle, the regional capital, the government declared victory at the end of the month. However, the TPLF persisted in battle and, after government troops left, retook Mekelle and most of Tigray by the end of June.
Dr. Fanta Mandefro, the Amhara region's deputy president, told Reuters on Thursday that he had no information about the situation in Lalibela, which is 310 kilometers east of Bahir Dar, the Amhara region's headquarters.
On the Orthodox Easter weekend, tens of thousands of visitors from Ethiopia and outside flock to Lalibela, which is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site of 12th and 13th-century monolithic churches, to celebrate and observe the Orthodox calendar's most important event.
