Staff Reports
The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church says more than 60 Orthodox Christians were killed in a wave of attacks in Arsi Zone of Oromia. The Synod reports homes and churches burned and dozens wounded. Local people are burying the dead while church leaders plead for protection. This should alarm anyone who cares about religious freedom and basic human decency.
What happened in Arsi?
According to the Holy Synod’s statement, two separate attacks in Arsi — in Merti (Gora Silingo, Angada kebele) and Shirka woredas — left at least 60 people dead. The Synod gave a breakdown of 14 killed in one locality and 46 in the other. Witnesses and local media show mass burials and burned homes and churches. Count numbers vary from source to source, and international monitors have not yet independently verified the full toll. Still, religious leaders and survivors are asking for answers and protection.
Who is being blamed — and what the government says
Regional officials in Oromia, including Hailu Adugna of the Oromia Communication Service, blamed a force they call “Tsimdo” — a label used for an alliance they allege includes armed groups such as the Oromo Liberation Army. The national government, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has been urged to act. Blame is one thing; action is another. If the federal and regional authorities cannot protect civilians and churches now, their words ring hollow.
A pattern of violence and the wider context
This attack did not happen in a vacuum. Human-rights groups and local monitors have documented repeated violence in East Arsi since 2021. Rights reports show dozens — in some periods hundreds — of civilians killed, homes destroyed and people displaced. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission says it is following the latest reports, and the Church wants a full investigation. Meanwhile, many Christians in the region feel abandoned. That is both a local failure and a warning flag to the international community that religious persecution is on the rise.
What must be done next
First, get independent investigators on the ground to verify casualties and collect evidence. Second, protect remaining civilians and churches with real security measures, not just press statements. Third, provide emergency aid to survivors and support transparent prosecutions if perpetrators are identified. And fourth, the free world should stop pretending this is only a regional problem — religious persecution and ethnic violence deserve attention, not polite silence. Ethiopia’s Christians need more than prayers; they need action.
In short: the Holy Synod has sounded the alarm. Governments and rights bodies must follow with facts, protection and accountability — not platitudes. If leaders want to stop a slide into wider ethnic and religious bloodshed, they should move faster than their excuses.
