More than 40 people were killed and 18 others injured when gunmen attacked several villages in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, amid suspicions that the assault targeted Orthodox Christians for religious reasons, according to local residents and an organization that monitors armed conflicts.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project (ACLED) reported that at least 43 people were killed and 18 injured in the attack on Saturday. The organization said the incident was suspected to have been religiously motivated, with reports that an Orthodox church had been looted.
A resident of the Shirka area, located about 270 kilometers south of the capital, Addis Ababa, said gunmen attacked an Orthodox church and nearby homes. He added that his father was killed in the assault and estimated the death toll at around 51.
Local residents said more than 40 people had been killed and buried in mass graves. The reports could not be independently verified.
One resident said religious tensions remained high in the area, warning that the situation could escalate into a wider crisis unless authorities took action. A local church deacon also said some people displaced by the violence had sought refuge in nearby churches, urging the government to restore security.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission said it was monitoring the situation and examining the details of the incident but did not provide further information.
Violence Escalates in Oromia Region
Oromia is Ethiopia’s most populous region, home to approximately 40 million people. It surrounds Addis Ababa and spans a vast area of the country, which is home to Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox Christian communities.
The region has experienced years of fighting between federal forces and the Oromo Liberation Army, which the Ethiopian government designates as a terrorist organization. ACLED has reported an increase in violence in areas affected by the latest attack in recent years.
At least 11 civilians were killed between late May and early June in the Arsi area, where Shirka is located. Ethiopian authorities blamed the Oromo Liberation Army for those killings.
In November 2023, at least 30 civilians were also killed in an attack carried out by unidentified gunmen.
Armed Conflicts Threaten Ethiopia’s Stability
Violence in Ethiopia extends beyond Oromia, with several regions experiencing armed conflicts involving groups with different objectives and political demands.
In late September, several armed groups, including the Oromo Liberation Army and Tigrayan rebels, formed an alliance that announced its intention to challenge the federal government.
The Tigray region was the scene of a devastating war between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front from 2020 to 2022.
Estimates cited in the report put the death toll from that conflict at no fewer than 600,000 people, making it one of the deadliest conflicts of recent decades.
