Ethiopia Oromia Attacks Kill 60 Orthodox Christians

More than 60 Orthodox Christians have been killed in a series of Ethiopia Oromia attacks, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which called on the government to protect worshippers and bring those responsible to justice.

The church's Holy Synod said 14 people were killed on 20 October in Gora Silingo, in Merti district, and 46 more were killed on 24 October in Tereta, Chole and Birbo villages in Shirka district. Both districts lie in the Arsi Zone, roughly 120 miles south of Addis Ababa. Twenty houses were burned to the ground in the attacks, and other residents were left seriously injured and taken to hospital.

One resident, whose 75-year-old father was killed, told BBC Amharic that people in the villages had been "completely unprepared" for the assault and that attackers surrounded them from every direction. Eyewitnesses told BBC Amharic that five of those killed were children. A church official described the attacks as a massacre, saying security forces reached the scene but could not stop the assault. Many residents have since fled the area, and churches in neighbouring villages opened their doors to shelter the wounded and the bereaved.

What the church is demanding

The Holy Synod set out its account in a statement read on Monday at the start of its plenary assembly in Addis Ababa. In it, the bishops condemned the killings and called for government protection, justice, and an end to escalating violence against Orthodox communities. The statement said that "such actions undermine the country's values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence".

The church said it had repeatedly raised concerns about insecurity with authorities at different levels of government, but that "so far there has been no solution". Church leaders also asked the faithful to pray for those killed, for the injured, and for families left without shelter, and to engage in dialogue with the authorities so that the violence may cease.

Who is blamed, and what is not established

A local official blamed the attacks on a newly formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The regional government said that it would take action against those responsible. The OLA has not commented on these attacks but has denied carrying out previous such attacks.

Responsibility and motive remain unverified. Oromia's government accused the rebel alliance of seeking to provoke religious conflict but supplied no evidence, Reuters reported. A source connected to the alliance instead accused regional authorities. The church statement itself did not name who was responsible.

The government has previously blamed the OLA for attacks in the region, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed saying violence targeting civilians and religious institutions was part of a plan to destabilise the country. The group, which says it is fighting for greater rights for the Oromo people, denies these allegations.

A pattern of violence in Arsi

The Ethiopian Human Rights Council, a non-governmental organisation, said in a report released in July 2026 that 458 people had been killed in attacks in that area over the previous four years. The report said armed groups had repeatedly targeted local communities, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in what it described as religiously motivated attacks.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world, and Orthodox Christianity remains central to daily life for many Ethiopians. About a third of the country's people are Muslim, and the church has long presented itself as a pillar of national coexistence, which is why its leaders framed the attacks as a blow to shared values.

Previous reports have also documented attacks against Muslims in the area. Residents who spoke to the BBC on various occasions have described the violence as both ethnic and religious in nature, and the church said attacks against Christians had been increasing recently.

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For the families in Merti and Shirka, the immediate question is whether the latest deaths will bring any change. The church has asked the government to act, the regional government has promised action, and residents who fled are waiting to learn whether it is safe to return home. Sources: BBC, via Capital FM, Townpress, citing Reuters.