Ethiopia: Dozens of Orthodox Christians killed in attacks

The Catholic Church in Ethiopia has renewed its appeal for peace and the protection of civilians.

At least 60 people, including elderly people and children, were reportedly killed in attacks on Orthodox Christian communities in Oromia, amid renewed violence and growing fears of further instability in Ethiopia.

The attacks took place on October 20 in Merti district, and on October 24 in Shirka district, both in the Arsi area of Oromia.

According to media reports, the attack in Shirka was carried out by armed men who went from house to house, killing residents with firearms and knives. Elderly people and children were among the victims. One church was reportedly damaged, while churches in neighboring villages sheltered people fleeing the violence.

These attacks are particularly concerning because of fears that a religious dimension could be added to Ethiopia’s already complex conflicts, driven by a combination of political, ethnic, territorial, and regional tensions.

The Oromia regional government has accused armed rebel groups of carrying out the latest killings in an attempt to provoke religious conflict, although this allegation has not been independently verified. Responsibility for the attacks remains disputed.

Violence and insecurity also intensify in northern Ethiopia

The attacks come at a particularly fragile moment for Ethiopia, where renewed fighting in the north has raised fears of another major escalation.

The current violence in northern Ethiopia has revived memories of the devastating war in Tigray. The 2022 Pretoria Agreement formally ended two years of fighting, but unresolved political and territorial disputes, the situation of displaced populations, and tensions between regional and federal authorities have continued to destabilize the country.

In recent weeks, fighting involving the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), allied armed groups, and government forces has spread across parts of Tigray, Afar, and Amhara. In an appeal, Ethiopia’s Catholic bishops said the Church “grieves deeply over the armed conflict that is currently present in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia and other regions” of the country.

They warned that “rather than resolving differences, war serves only to deepen divisions and multiplies suffering,” leaving behind loss of life, devastation, and “seeds of hatred, resentment, and vengeance that may endure for generations.”

This concern was echoed by Bishop Lesanechristos Matheos of the Catholic Eparchy of Bahir Dar-Dessie, in northern Ethiopia, in a pastoral letter sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Writing on October 3, he said he was deeply concerned for people affected by “fear, insecurity, displacement, loss, and uncertainty,” and called on all people of good will to respond with prayer, wisdom, compassion, and a firm commitment to peace.

The bishop also warned against the danger of allowing violence against one community to generate satisfaction in another.

“Every life lost is a tragedy,” he wrote, referring to the grief of mothers who have lost children, children who have lost their parents, and families forced from their homes.

In his pastoral letter, Bishop Matheos underlined that seeking peace does not mean remaining silent in the face of injustice. Rather, Christians are called to defend human dignity, protect the vulnerable, seek the truth, and open paths toward reconciliation and healing. He also specifically called on the faithful to reject “hatred, rumors, misinformation, and words that inflame conflict,” and to exercise prudence before sharing information.

A country marked by overlapping conflicts

According to ACN’s 2025 Religious Freedom Report, Ethiopia’s peace remains fragile, with ethnic rivalries, power imbalances, and deep-rooted grievances continuing to fuel instability. Religious communities are often caught up in this broader political and ethnic violence, while the politicization of religious identity and recurring episodes of religiously motivated violence are placing increasing pressure on interreligious coexistence.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is the country’s largest religious community, accounting for around 44% of the population. Muslims make up around 34%; Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians around 19%; and Catholics represent approximately 0.7%.

Religious affiliation also varies considerably between regions and often intersects with ethnic, territorial, and political identities.

– María Lozano