In brief
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church reports more than sixty fatalities in recent attacks on Christian communities in the Oromia region. Victims were ambushed without warning, and several houses were burned. Local officials blame the newly‑formed Alliance for Survival and the Oromo Liberation Army, though the group denies involvement. The violence comes amid rising religious tensions in a country where two‑thirds of the population are Christian. Human rights groups warn that such incidents threaten Ethiopia’s fragile peace and highlight the need for urgent security action.
Attacks against Christians have been increasing recently, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
More than 60 people were killed in a series of sudden attacks on Christians in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church said. A resident whose 75‑year‑old father was among the dead described the assault as a surprise ambush, noting that they were unprepared and surrounded from all directions.
The regional government promised action against those responsible, while a local official blamed the violence on the recently formed Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The OLA has denied any involvement.
A statement by the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church noted that 20 homes were burned to the ground in the attacks, though it did not assign blame.
Eyewitnesses reported that five of the dead were children. A church official labelled the incidents in three areas of the Shirka district a "massacre" and said that security forces arrived too late to stop the assault.
Many residents have fled the area in fear. The church’s public condemnation highlights a trend of rising violence against Christians, arguing that such acts undermine Ethiopia’s core values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council’s July 2026 report states that 458 people were killed in similar attacks over the past four years, marking this latest incident as the most lethal of the period. The report warned that armed groups repeatedly target local communities, especially followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in what it called religiously motivated attacks.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has previously blamed the OLA for destabilising the country through violence against civilians and religious institutions, a claim the group denies. Past incidents have also documented attacks on Muslims, indicating a pattern of both ethnic and religious violence.
About two‑thirds of Ethiopia’s population is Christian, predominantly Orthodox, while one‑third identifies as Muslim.
More on Ethiopia: BBC Africa news
