World Watch Monitor, June 18, 2019
An evangelical church in central Ethiopia has been ordered to vacate its building, 10 years after it started meeting there, and churches elsewhere in the region say pressure is increasing on them, too.
The Mekane Yesus Evangelical Church, about 400km southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, was ordered by the Oromia Regional State Authorities to leave its premises within 30 days.
The eviction letter, dated 15 May and signed by the mayor, said the church’s neighbours had complained of noise.
“This is really a surprising move”, a source told World Watch Monitor. “Other religious institutions use much more powerful sound systems all over the country. Noise from mosques and Ethiopian Orthodox churches can be heard throughout the day and even at night. This decision is nothing other than a display of animosity towards Protestant churches in the region”.
The source said the congregation secured the building from a private owner 10 years ago and had been using it without incident.