In brief
Recent attacks in Oromia have left more than 60 Christians dead, with eyewitness accounts describing a surprise ambush. A local resident and church officials have called the assaults a massacre, noting that security forces were unable to intervene. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church said 20 homes were set ablaze, and five of the dead were children. Authorities blame a newly-formed rebel coalition, while the Oromo Liberation Army denies involvement. The incident marks one of the worst attacks in the region in recent years.
More than 60 people have been killed in a series of attacks on Christians in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, according to the country’s Orthodox Church.
A resident whose 75‑year‑old father fell victim described the assault as an ambush, telling BBC Amharic that they had no warning and were surrounded from all four directions.
The regional government vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable, while the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church reported that 20 houses were set ablaze. The church did not name anyone responsible.
A local official blamed a newly‑formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). OLA has denied any role in the violence.
Eyewitnesses say five of those killed were children. The attacks, which took place in the Shirka district, were characterised by a church official as a “massacre”, noting that security forces were unable to stop the assault.
Many residents have fled the area amid fears of further violence. The Orthodox Church has condemned the attacks as part of a growing trend of hostility against Christians in the country, arguing that such acts undermine Ethiopia’s values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
In a Facebook post, the church said it had repeatedly raised concerns about insecurity with authorities at all levels, yet no solution had emerged.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council, a non‑governmental organisation, reported that 458 people were killed in the region over the past four years. This incident is now the most lethal attack in that period.
Past reports identified attacks against Muslims in the area, revealing that violence has ethnic and religious dimensions.
Ethiopia is roughly three‑quarters Christian, mostly Orthodox, and one‑third Muslim.
