Ethiopia attacks leave over 60 Christians dead in Oromia region

More than 60 people have lost their lives following coordinated assaults against Christian communities in Ethiopia's Oromia region, according to statements from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

The deadly incidents occurred across three separate locations within the Shirka district. A church representative termed the violence a massacre, noting that although security personnel eventually reached the area, they failed to prevent the carnage. Witnesses reported that the victims included five children, while the church's governing body, the Holy Synod, confirmed that 20 homes were reduced to ashes during the raids.

Survivors recounted chaotic scenes of being caught unaware. One resident, whose 75-year-old father was slain, told BBC Amharic that the attackers ambushed the community without warning, encircling villagers from all sides. The scale of the violence has triggered a wave of displacement, forcing numerous families to abandon their homes and flee.

Local authorities attributed the bloodshed to the Alliance for Survival, an emerging coalition of insurgent groups that incorporates the Oromo Liberation Army. While the OLA has not directly responded to these specific claims, the rebel organisation has consistently dismissed government accusations regarding prior strikes against civilians. Regional officials announced that punitive measures would be pursued against those responsible for the killings.

The leadership of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church condemned the bloodshed, warning that escalating hostilities directed at Christians threaten the nation's historical traditions of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. In a public message, the church stressed that it had routinely alerted diverse tiers of government to deteriorating safety conditions, expressing frustration that no effective remedy had been enacted.

The district has experienced chronic unrest for years. A report issued by the non-governmental Ethiopian Human Rights Council documented that 458 individuals were slain in the vicinity over a four-year timeframe prior to this latest assault, identifying armed groups as the perpetrators of faith-based violence targeting Orthodox believers. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has previously claimed that assaults on civilian settlements and places of worship form part of a broader strategy to destabilise Ethiopia.

Demographically, Christians comprise roughly two-thirds of Ethiopia's population, with the vast majority adhering to the Orthodox tradition, alongside a significant Muslim minority that makes up around one-third. Past documentation shows that Muslim populations in the territory have also suffered attacks, and local inhabitants frequently describe the longstanding turmoil as being driven by a mixture of ethnic and religious animosity.