Abune Mathias, Patriarch of Ethiopian Orthodox Church attends the Meskel Festival to commemorate the discovery of the true cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified on, at the Meskel Square in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, September 26, 2016. Picture taken September 26, 2016. REUTERS/Tiksa NegeriThe head of Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church has said that atrocities amounting to genocide are being committed in Tigray, in his first comments on the conflict in the region that broke out in November and has killed thousands.
Abune Mathias, who has been head of the church since 2013, did not say who was responsible for this. He spoke in a video message that was posted on Twitter on Friday by an American religious charity worker.