Reported Drone Strike on Monastery in Amhara Region Highlights the Paradox of Ethiopia's National Dialogue

According to local sources, an early morning drone strike reportedly hit St. Arsema Monastery of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church near Mekane Selam in West Wollo, Amhara Region, at around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

The reports indicate that two nuns were killed and more than eight others seriously injured while preparing the day’s meals. The wounded were reportedly transported to a nearby health center by three-wheeled bajajs due to the absence of ambulances.

As of publication, Ethiopian authorities had not issued an official statement, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church had also not publicly commented on the reported incident.

The reported drone strike underscores the stark contrast between the ongoing Ethiopian National Dialogue in Addis Ababa, presented as a path toward peace, reconciliation, and national consensus, and the continued reality of armed conflict in parts of the country.

The incident comes against the backdrop of years of conflict in the Amhara and Oromia regions, where hostilities continue despite the launch of the dialogue. At the same time, Tigray as a whole is not represented in the process, while the two principal armed movements engaged in the conflicts in Ethiopia’s two largest regions, Amhara and Oromia, are also absent from the dialogue.

These realities raise fundamental questions about the inclusiveness and effectiveness of a national dialogue taking place while large parts of the country remain affected by conflict and several key stakeholders are not participating in the process.

According to a statement issued by the Wollo Bete Amhara Menelik Command, an armed group operating in the area and fighting the federal government, the group condemned the reported drone strike on St. Arsema Monastery as a "brutal" attack on nuns and a religious institution.

The statement alleged that the strike killed multiple nuns, seriously injured others, and caused extensive damage to the monastery. It further argued that the incident exposed what it described as a contradiction between the federal government’s promotion of the ongoing National Dialogue in Addis Ababa and its continued military operations in conflict-affected areas.

The group called for religious leaders to publicly denounce the attack and urged international human rights organizations and the broader international community to conduct an independent investigation and take action if violations of international law are established.

The federal government had not responded to these allegations at the time of publication.

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Originally published on UMD Media Facebook on 2026-07-23T10:30:00-06:00. Source: https://www.facebook.com/getachew.UMDMedia