A thread on Armenians in Ethiopia:

During the early 1900s, Armenian Christians were systematically massacred by the Ottoman government. This genocide is known as the Armenian holocaust. The total number of Armenians killed is estimated to be 1.5 million.

Armenia & Ethiopia have long historical ties with one another. Both practice the same branch of Orthodox Christianity, and were the first nations to declare it a state religion. Furthermore, Armenia & Ethiopia have been trading as early as the 1st Century AD.

Emperor Haile Selassie was a globe trotter, and was the most traveled leader in the world at the time. During his visit to Jerusalem he visited the Armenian quarter & was impressed at the similarities between the Ethiopian & Armenian Orthodox Church & the script used by both.

Haile Selassie believed in the good intentions of the Armenian community towards Ethiopian society, & officially granted Asylum to Armenians facing persecution in their homeland.
Armenians became the only people other than Ethiopians to land and depart freely from Ethiopia.

Emperor Haile Selassie &Empress Menen personally adopted a group of 40 Armenian orphans who had escaped the atrocities in Turkey & arranged for them to receive musical instruction. They were known as the "Arba Lijoch" & became the first official orchestra of Ethiopia.

At its peak in the 1950s there were 2,800 Armenians living in Ethiopia, they were provided for and respected, the emperor even built Armenian schools that taught in Armenian, Amharic, English and French in order to preserve their culture & heritage.

Armenians have contributed to Ethiopian society in musical innovation, pharmaceutical and medical institutions, engineering, city planning, and astronomy. We pay respect to the people of Armenia & pray atrocities perpetuated against your people are acknowledged & never forgotten.