Mereja Forum

[Thomas H]

The lack of tourists has been hard on Lalibela. The town, with a population of 200,000, has become a star attraction for the foreign visitors to Ethiopia whose numbers have steadily grown over the past decade.

"Back in the good days tourists were flowing, hotels were full," Misagnaw Tarekegn, head priest of Saint Mary church, told Reuters, as barefoot worshippers gathered around him in preparation for the night of prayers and chants before Easter morning.

"Many hotels had 300 to 400 workers. Now they are sitting at home with no income," he said, blaming the war in Tigray.

Mesai Mekonnen, owner of the Tukul Village hotel, said that before the war the hotel typically hosted 600 guests a month - now his rooms are empty and the kitchen is closed.


Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/pa ... 021-05-02/

[Noble Amhara]

You can’t even go to Aksum without shabia soldiers permission b!tch