According to Reuters, soldiers have entered a camp for displaced people in Shire, in western Tigray. They are said to have beaten and stripped civilians before taking hundreds of them. The conflict that has been going on since November has cost thousands of lives. But also significant damage. In the Negash, the El Nejashi Mosque, one of the most important Muslim sites in Africa, was bombed and looted.
With our special returning envoy from Negash, Sebastien nemeth
An elder prays next to one of the mosque’s tombs. Above his head, the dome is partially cleared, a sign that a shell passed six months ago. The Imam, Sheikh Adam Mohammed, tells.
“The day before, there had been a fight in town and we hid in the basement. Then the building was bombed. Three shells hit the mosque. Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers then arrived. They killed three people before looting everything. We had a new space to be inaugurated. They stole kitchen utensils, refrigerators, ovens, whatever they could. Everything was new. We were powerless. You know what they would have done to us if we had tried to stop them. “
Negash is considered the oldest Muslim place in Africa. The mosque is from the 700s. It is said that several traveling companions of the Prophet Muhammad are buried there after fleeing persecution. Cheikh Zeinu Ismaël has been praying there for 40 years.
“We cried a lot when we saw the mosque in this condition. It is a sacred building and it is as if the whole Muslim world has also been affected. It’s not for me to forgive or not. If people are good, they get good things back. Those who make mistakes, God will judge them. Only their actions can save those who did it. ”
Six months later, the mosque has not been renovated. While the conflict is ongoing, its officials believe that we must first wait for peace before considering reconstruction.
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