Ethiopia: Tigray Forces Take Control of Lalibela's Heritage site

Eye witnesses told Reuters on Thursday that troops from Ethiopia's Tigray region had captured the town of Lalibela, whose famous rock-cut churches are a United Nations World Heritage site, adding that residents were fleeing the place.

Lalibela, which is also a holy site for millions of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, is located in the North Wollo District of the Amhara Region.

Fighting has spread in recent weeks from Tigray into two neighboring regions, Amhara and Afar, forcing  250,000 people to flee.

UN and US government officials visiting Ethiopia this week have raised concerns that the war in Tigray is spreading to other parts in the north.

[caption id="attachment_259660" align="aligncenter" width="575"] The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are a Unesco world heritage site[/caption]

Seyfu, a resident of Lalibela who spoke to Reuters by phone, said he saw hundreds of armed men speaking Tigrinya, the language of ethnic Tigrayans, walking through the town on Thursday. He said they were not speaking Amharic, the language of the people of Lalibela, and were wearing "different uniforms" from those of the federal military.

A Lalibela resident, who spoke to Reuters, said he saw hundreds of armed men who speak Tigrinya marching into the town on Thursday.

He said they did not speak Amharic, the language of the people of Lalibela, and were wearing "different costumes" than those of the federal army.

Another eyewitness said he saw hundreds of soldiers enter the town. He added that he fled to the mountains outside the city and only women and children remained in the town, pointing out that there was no fighting in Lalibela when the Tigrayan forces entered.