26.10.2026 More than 60 people have been killed in a series of attacks on Christians in Oromia region, according to the Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church. (Image above: illustration)
“We were completely unprepared and had no prior knowledge. They surrounded us from all four directions,” said one of the residents, who lost his father. Eyewitness said that five of those killed were children.
The regional government said that it would take action against those responsible.
A local official blamed the attacks on a newly formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The OLA has not commented but has denied carrying out previous such attacks.
A statement from the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said that 20 houses were burnt to the ground in the attacks, however they didn’t to point to anyone responsible.
A church official described the attacks on three areas in the Shirka district as a “massacre”, saying security forces arrived at the scene but were unable to stop the assault.
Ethiopia: At least 47 Ethiopian Christians were killed, and another 18 hospitalized, in coordinated attacks targeting them in the Oromia region.
Surviving witnesses claimed regional authorities collaborated with Islamist militias to carry out the massacre.
Church leaders have repeatedly warned local authorities about armed groups entering the area, but received no serious response.
This is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a pattern of targeted attacks against Ethiopian Christians, who militants conflate with Amhara ethnicity.
This fusion of religious and ethnic violence against innocent Christians and their churches must not be tolerated.
We condemn these evil acts and call for the protection of Ethiopia’s Christians.
— Christian Emergency Alliance (@ChristianEmerg1) October 25, 2026
Many residents have now fled the area. Condemning the violence, the Orthodox Church said attacks against Christians had been increasing recently, and that “such actions undermine the country’s values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence”.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the Orthodox Church said it had repeatedly raised concerns about insecurity with authorities at different levels of government, but that “so far there has been no solution”.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council, a non-governmental organisation, said in a report released in July 2026 that 458 people had been killed in attacks in that area over the previous four years.
Massacre of Christians leaves more than 40 dead in Ethiopia https://t.co/ZYLvQ9diWX
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) October 26, 2026
But this is one of the most deadly attacks in that period.