A series of violent attacks targeting Christian communities in Ethiopia’s Oromia region has resulted in more than 60 deaths, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The assaults occurred across three areas in the Shirka district and involved the burning of approximately 20 houses. Eyewitnesses reported that five of those killed were children, and a church official characterized the incidents as a massacre. Many residents have since fled the affected areas.
A local official attributed responsibility for the attacks to the Alliance for Survival, a newly established rebel coalition that includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The OLA has not issued a public response to these specific allegations, though the group has previously denied involvement in similar attacks. A statement from the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church did not explicitly assign blame but condemned the violence and noted that attacks against Christians have been increasing.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council released a report in July 2026 documenting 458 deaths from attacks in the region over the preceding four years, characterizing the violence as religiously motivated and predominantly targeting followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox faith. However, residents and researchers have described the conflict as having both ethnic and religious dimensions. Previous documentation has also recorded attacks against Muslim populations in the area.
The Ethiopian government has previously attributed similar violence to the OLA, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stating that attacks on civilians and religious sites form part of a destabilization strategy. The OLA counters that it is fighting for expanded rights for the Oromo people and denies government accusations. The Orthodox Church stated it has repeatedly raised security concerns with authorities at various governmental levels but reported receiving no effective resolution to date. The regional government indicated it would pursue action against those responsible.
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