Sixty Christians killed in Ethiopia’s Oromia region

What the report says

At least 60 Ethiopian Orthodox Christians were killed in separate attacks in Ethiopia’s Oromia region on October 20 and October 24, according to church officials cited by Al Jazeera. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s holy synod said more than 20 others were seriously injured and 20 homes were burned in the violence, which it described as a grave attack on civilians and religious freedom.

The church said 14 people were killed in Gora Silingo in Merti district on October 20, and 46 more died four days later in the villages of Tereta, Chole and Birbo in Shirka district. Both areas are in the Arsi Zone of central Oromia. The synod condemned the killings, urged the government to strengthen protection for civilians, and called for those responsible to be prosecuted. It also asked security agencies to increase protection for affected communities and prevent further attacks.

Al Jazeera reported that the Oromia regional government has pledged to pursue the attackers, while no group had immediately claimed responsibility. Media reports cited by the outlet said a local official blamed a newly formed rebel alliance that includes the Oromo Liberation Army, which has denied past accusations of targeting civilians. The killings add to long-running insecurity in Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest region, where armed conflict and communal violence have repeatedly affected civilians.