Two attacks in Ethiopia’s Oromia region killed at least 60 Orthodox Christians, the country’s Orthodox Church said, urging authorities to protect civilians and bring those responsible to justice.
Both districts are in Oromia’s Arsi Zone. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s Holy Synod said Monday (October 26, 2026) that 14 people were killed in Merti district on Oct. 20 and a further 46 in Shirka district on Oct. 24.
More than 20 people were seriously wounded, and 20 homes were burned down, the church said, describing the killings as “brutal and merciless massacres.”
Oromia regional government spokesperson Hailu Adugna blamed the Oromo Liberation Army for the attacks. He accused the rebels and their allies of trying to provoke ethnic and religious conflict to divert attention from military losses in northern Ethiopia. He presented no evidence supporting the accusations in the statement. He pledged assistance to people wounded or displaced. The OLA is one of seven groups in the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival, formed in September with the aim of removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government. Other members include the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and the Amhara Fano National Movement. It called on authorities to publicly condemn the killings and prevent further violence.
Adugna expressed sorrow over the deaths and destruction and said regional authorities had begun taking action against those responsible. “Our war is not against the people,” he said at the time. The church said the attacks violated constitutional protections for religious freedom and the right to life.
