Ethiopia: Rights Commission Confirms 48 Killed in Shirka Attacks, Raises Alarm Over Informal Armed Groups

What the report says

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission has confirmed that 48 people were killed in attacks in Shirka Woreda in southeast Oromia on 24 October, backing earlier reporting by Addis Standard. The commission said the violence took place in Birbona Chole Kebele and caused deaths, injuries, home destruction and the displacement of hundreds of residents. It said its findings were based on interviews, field observations and other investigative methods.

According to the commission, an armed group identifying itself as the Oromo Liberation Army entered the area from several directions in the early hours of the morning. The reported toll included locally organized security personnel, militia members and civilians, while seven more civilians were said to have been killed by informal armed individuals operating in the area. The attack also left people injured, burned houses and looted livestock and pack animals.

The commission used the findings to warn about the wider presence of informal armed groups and to urge stronger civilian protection. It called on authorities to improve local security arrangements, strengthen early-warning systems, investigate the killings independently and address accountability, assistance for victims and compensation. The report comes as regional authorities have said arrests were made in connection with the attacks and that displaced residents were being helped to return.

More broadly, the commission said the Shirka case reflects recurring insecurity in parts of southeast Oromia and said it is continuing a wider investigation into related human rights violations in the region.