Tuesday, October 27 2026 - More than 60 people have lost their lives in attacks on Orthodox Christian churches and villages in Ethiopia.
The attacks were carried out on Orthodox Christian churches
and villages in Ethiopia's central state of Oromia on Saturday, October 24, two
residents and a priest told AFP on Monday.
Local residents and the ACLED conflict monitor told AFP that
at least 47 people were killed and 18 wounded when an unidentified armed group
attacked villages in the Shirka district of Oromia, around 270 kilometres south
of the capital, Addis Ababa.
“The attack is said to be religiously motivated and to have
targeted Orthodox Christians,” ACLED said, adding that the attack led to
clashes with local militias and lasted through Saturday afternoon and evening.
'My sister and uncle were killed, and several of my
relatives were taken hostage in Chole ward of Shirka district,' one resident
said.
Oromia, a state of around 40 million people in the centre of
the country, is home to a mix of Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox
communities.
'We are deeply shocked by these tragic killings and are
appealing to the government to intervene and restore security,' said a deacon
of one of the attacked churches, who put the death toll at 46.
It comes days after several people died during clashes
between the armies of southern Ethiopia's Somali and Oromia regions.
0 Comments