July 28, 2026
WCC called for calls an investigation into the Drone Strike on the Abbay Giyorgis St Arsema Unity Monastery in the Amhara region of Ethiopia
Borkena News Desk
TORONTO, Canada — General Secretary of World Council of Churches (WCC) , Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, on Tuesday “strongly” condemned the drone strike on the Abbay Giyorgis St Arsema Unity Monastery, in South Wollo, Amhara Region of Ethiopia.
On July 22, the Ethiopian Defense Force carried out deadly drone strikes killing two nuns and injuring 14 other members of the monastic community. The South Wollo Diocese of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has confirmed the incident and casualties.
Days after the incident, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, his Holiness Abune Mathias, released a statement. “Raising a hand against monastics who have abandoned worldly gains to spend their lives in prayer for national peace—and who possess no means of self-defense—violates divine law and dishonors our history,” the Patriarch stated, as reported by Borkena.
WCC published a news release on its website in reaction to the incident.
Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay is quoted as saying “The reported attack on a place of worship and the killing and wounding of civilians is deeply disturbing and utterly unacceptable.”
Furthermore, the WCC is calling for an investigation into the incident.
“The World Council of Churches calls for an immediate, credible, transparent, and impartial investigation into this incident and for those responsible to be held accountable…All parties to the conflict must respect international humanitarian law and their responsibility to protect civilians and religious institutions,” Pillay stated.
WCC also extended condolences to the victims families and expressed “Christian solidarity with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the people of Ethiopia.”
The Ethiopian Federal government or the Defense Force has not yet remarked on how and why the monastery was targeted with a drone strike.
Reports indicate that rebel forces (Fano) have presence near the monastery. However, members of the monastery have reported that no Fano forces were in the monastery at the time the drone strike was conducted. Drone surveillance was underway for several hours before the attack, according to members of the Monastic community.
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