Dozens killed in attack on Ethiopia Orthodox Christians

Forty-four people were reportedly killed and 18 wounded in an attack targeting Orthodox Christian churches and homes in Ethiopia's central Oromia region on Saturday, according to residents and the ACLED conflict monitoring platform. ACLED stated that the attack was religiously motivated and aimed at Orthodox Christians, leading to clashes with local militias that continued through the afternoon and evening.

The state-run Ethiopia Human Rights Commission confirmed it was "following the situation." Residents reported varying death tolls, from 44 to 51, and one resident said 44 people were killed in the region. ACLED has recorded a surge in attacks against Orthodox Christians since February 2023. The Oromia region, home to 40 million people, has a history of insurgency and ethnic tensions between Muslim, Protestant, and Orthodox communities, often exploited by armed groups.

The conflict monitor ACLED has not confirmed if the attackers were linked to the Oromo Liberation Front, the main insurgent group in the region. One deacon of an attacked church expressed shock and called for government intervention to restore security.