Ethiopia: The Ethnic-Religious Violence Continues Amid International Reactions

Two years after the publication of our report on the suffering of the Amhara People in Ethiopia, recent tragic events show that their plight is definitely not over. Indeed, this article details several faith-based and ethnic-based coordinated attacks that killed at the very least dozens of Ethiopians over the last months. Despite numerous international reactions the government persists in denial.

What is the Problem in Ethiopia?

Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with roughly 130 million inhabitants, is a deeply diverse state composed of more than eighty ethnic groups. Once hailed as a strategic pillar of regional stability, Ethiopia has increasingly fractured along highly sensitive ethnic and political lines, with tensions involving Oromo, Amhara, and Tigrayan ethnic groups. The Amhara and Tigrayan communities are largely associated with Orthodox Christianity, while Islam is the dominant religion among the Oromo, despite having a significant Christian community.

Since the political transition of 2018 which brought Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, an Oromo leader, to power, many reports have pointed to a worsening climate of insecurity affecting Amhara communities, including mass displacement, targeted killings, and recurrent attacks in several regions, particularly Oromia.

These developments have taken shape in the backdrop of successive armed conflicts, most notably the war in the Tigray region between 2020 and 2022, and later, the war in the Amhara region from 2023 onward. However, attacks on ethnic Amharas in other parts of the country predated the outbreak of the war in the Amhara region, revealing the broader nature of the crisis.

Furthermore, instances of attacks against Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia have dramatically increased in conjunction with the ethnic conflicts. These tragic faith-based killings have predominantly been concentrated in the Oromia region of the country. Recent attacks regrettably confirm the persistence of this pattern.

Killings in Arsi

The Arsi zone of the Oromia region, which hosts a Muslim majority population[i], has previously been a breeding ground for targeted identity-based killings in Ethiopia.

For instance, in November 2023, a series of attacks were perpetrated in three villages of the Arsi zone and had claimed the lives of 36 Orthodox Christians[ii]. Similarly, in December of the same year, five people were abducted from their homes and executed while some residential properties in the area were set ablaze[iii]. The ECLJ had already documented these events at the time, sounding the alarm on their unique faith‑based nature, in its report The Silent Suffering of the Amhara People.

These attacks on Christians have distressingly continued unabated, with multiple new assaults having occurred in the months of October and November 2025.

According to church officials, a series of three attacks by unidentified gunmen in October alone left at least 25 people dead in Arsi.

The first attack occurred in the districts of Guna and Merti in the early hours of October 24, claiming the lives of 17 Christians. An eyewitness reported that the assault felt like an ambush, with gunfire being opened in the dead of the night in the area where Christians lived. He further explained that the assailants were armed with knives as well, indicating that while most victims were hit by bullets, others were stabbed. The eyewitness puts the death toll in his locality alone at 16, and claims the youngest victim was a 2-year-old infant. Most of the victims were buried in a communal grave, with 5 of them being buried in BalWold church in a neighboring area called Negele[iv].

The second attack was perpetrated in the Shirka district in the night from October 27 to 28 and claimed the lives of three people. Reports show that, while three people were killed, 4 others were captured and taken hostage. A church official, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, told a national newspaper that the victims were killed in a “harrowing manner,” explaining that they were forcibly removed from their homes before subsequently being executed[v].

The final attack took place in the Honkollo and Wabi districts the following night, on October 28, and left five more people dead. While the exact circumstances for this attack are unknown, reports indicate that the five people who were killed were all members of the same family[vi].

When asked about the recent attacks by BBC Amharic, the chief administrator of the Arsi Zone Ibrahim Kedir had denied the atrocities altogether, claiming that the reports were false[vii].

In spite of this denial, the violence in Arsi continued into the following month. Five farmers who had fled the area in fear after the October attacks were reportedly told to come back on their farms and harvest their fields by government officials. However, on November 4, 2025, as they were sharing lunch after returning from their farm work, the five farmers were shot dead by unknown gunmen^[viii]. According to the same sources, three other people were kidnapped and their whereabouts are still unknown. A similar attack took place in the Sherka district on November 23, 2025, in which three people were killed, two amongst whom were a father and his son^[ix].

Such attacks in the Arsi Zone alone have purportedly taken the lives of 190 people counting from the year 2021[x]. Though the Church has not disclosed the ethnicity of the victims, multiple reports indicate that they belonged to the Amhara community, which is a predominantly Orthodox Christian population.[xi] The ECLJ had previously alerted the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)[xii] and the UN Office on Genocide Prevention[xiii] regarding the critical risks of genocide facing this community.

Unsettlingly, the faith-based killings are not solely directed at Orthodox Christians in Arsi, as followers of the Catholic faith in the West Harerge zone of the Oromia region are also being targeted. The Catholic’s Bishops Conference in Ethiopia (CBCE) has reported that in late October 2025, an attack took place near the Saint Mary Church in which Catholic believers were killed and their property set on fire^[xiv]. The bishops have condemned the incident in the strongest terms but have not provided further details on the issue. The area of West Harerge is known for being particularly hostile to Christians, as abductions for ransom and sporadic killings of Christians has increased in the area in recent years^[xv]. The perpetrators of these massacres remain unknown. The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has previously been accused of being responsible for such incidents, but the group has consistently denied committing atrocities, trading accusations with the government[xvi].

International Reactions to The Massacres

This string of gruesome killings in the run up to the new year has prompted different reactions from multiple actors. On October 29, 2025, the Standing Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) has recognized the atrocities, attesting that most victims were Christians who were shot dead or fatally stabbed. The Church also urged the government to intervene in the matter and to fulfill its responsibility of guaranteeing the constitutional right to life as well as the freedom of religion in every corner of the country[xvii].

The Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox church in the Archdiocese of New York made much stronger remarks concerning the incessant massacres of Christians in the country. In his statement, he boldly said: “Ethiopians today are being slaughtered by knives” and that “This government sponsored slaughter is worsening by the day . . . In one word, the land has become hell.”[xviii]

Other Christian communities have voiced their support as well. The Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches (SCOOCh), which is composed of sister Churches to the EOTC, has expressed its dismay at what it described as “indefensible and cowardly attacks.” It has notably expressed solidarity with the Ethiopian Patriarch in asking for an end to this “monstrous barbarity”[xix]. Likewise, the general secretary of the World Church Council (WCC), Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay has sent a letter to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church expressing his condolences and describing the atrocities as a “senseless loss of life”[xx].

Reactions have also emerged from the political sphere. Amsalu Kassaw, the Ethiopian‑born Republican City Councilor of Aurora, contacted President Trump’s Special Advisor to draw urgent attention to the crisis, stating that “silence is not an option when lives are at risk.[xxi]” In Europe, a coalition of Christian members of the Dutch Parliament, led by MP Isa Kahraman, submitted a series of nine questions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding these killings. The questions were aimed at addressing and investigating these horrifying events[xxii].

Members of the Ethiopian Church in the diaspora also took to the streets to protest against these gruesome killings. On January 9, 2026, priests and believers held a peaceful gathering on the Place du Trocadéro in Paris, holding up signs that read “Stop the killing of priests!” and “Stop the killing of civilians!” Moreover, clergymen of the Ethiopian Church from across Europe have reacted, taking the initiative of writing a joint statement in which they strongly condemned the killings and called for the prompt prosecution of those responsible for what they described as an “ethnic cleansing on Christians.”[xxiii]

Continued Killings

Despite the myriad of international reactions from multiple parties, the killings have not stopped. On December 23, 2025, 19 people, one of whom was a monk, were reportedly killed in an attack in East Wollega, Gid Ayana district of the Oromo region[xxiv]. The attack happened in a village known as “Tega Jigi”, which is known for hosting the Amhara population of the district[xxv]. The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP), which is a historic political opposition party in the country, has obtained the information that in addition to the loss of life, 562 properties, amongst which we find homes, taverns and grain warehouses, were reported to be looted and burned[xxvi]. This attack happened two days after Federal security forces left the area, and regional forces, known as the Oromo Special Forces, entered the district. Eyewitnesses have claimed that “The special forces kidnap whoever they please and kill who they want with impunity”[xxvii]. The Oromo Special Forces have been previously accused of using arbitrary state sanctioned violence. Notably, the ECLJ had reported in 2023 that during the ethnic schism that rocked the EOTC, these forces went into church buildings and fired live bullets, resulting in multiple casualties[xxviii].

Very recently, violence was again reported in Arsi, particularly in the Shirka district. The bishop of the diocese wrote to the Patriarchate in Addis Ababa to request mediation and to urge that the federal government intervene, after a new round of attacks on February 26, 2026. According to the bishop, the assault began at around 4 a.m. and left 21 people dead, including one clergyman, while eight others were taken to hospital and a further eight individuals reportedly disappeared. He also noted that four people had been killed two days earlier, on February 24, 2026, and that ten Christian homes were burned on the same day. Other reports also mention extensive looting and indicate that movement within the district is currently extremely limited due to heightened tensions. On March 1, 2026, the Standing Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church issued a public statement expressing its grief and once again urging government officials to restore peace in the area and ensure justice for those responsible.

The situation is constantly evolving and remains deeply alarming. Despite repeated appeals from religious leaders, civil society, and international actors, the killings have continued. Furthermore, the war in the Amhara region has brought immense destruction and displacement of its own. The ECLJ continues to closely monitor the situation and engage with the international community on this topic.

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[i] Joshua Project, “Arsi Oromo in Ethiopia,” accessed February 15, 2026, https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/19652/ET.

[ii] Voice of America Amharic, “በሺርካ ወረዳ ሃይማኖት የለየ በተባለ ጥቃት 36 ምእመናን ሲገደሉ ቀሪዎቹ እንደሸሹ ተገለጸ”, published November 30, 2023, accessed February 13, 2026, https://amharic.voanews.com/a/east-arsi-killing/7378932.html.

[iii] Voice of America Amharic, “በሺርካ ወረዳ 'ሃይማኖት የተለየ' በተባለ ጥቃት ተጨማሪ አምስት ምእመናን እንደተገደሉ ተገለጸ”, published December 5, 2023, accessed February 12, 2026, https://amharic.voanews.com/a/arsi-more-killings/7385354.html, See also, MK TV, "ዜና ተዋሕዶ || ትኩረት ያጣው የኦርቶዶክሳውያን ግድያ," YouTube, posted on December 5, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpE8ef_ta7g.

[iv] Deutsche Welle (DW) Amharic, “ግድያ ይቁም,” DW, published November 1, 2025, accessed January 15, 2026, https://www.dw.com/am/ግድያ-ይቁም/a-74585225.

[v] Addis Standard (Amharic), “ “በምስራቅ አርሲ ዞን ከ 25 በላይ የሚሆኑ ሰላማዊ ሰዎች በጥቅምት ወር ብቻ ተገድለዋል" ስትል የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተክርስቲያን ገለፀች” published October 29, 2025, accessed February 15, 2026, https://addisstandard.com/Amharic/?p=9739.

[vi] BBC News Amharic, “በአርሲው ጥቃት እናት እና ሦስት ልጆችን ጨምሮ ስምንት ሰዎች የተገደሉበት ቤተሰብ,”, published October 30, 2025, accessed February 15, 2026, https://www.bbc.com/amharic/articles/c4gwz83p7q5o.

[vii] BBC News Amharic, “የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ቤተክርስቲያን መንግሥት ‘የዜጎችን በሕይወት የመኖር መብት እንዲያረጋግጥ’ ጠየቀች,” published October 31, 2025, accessed February 15, 2026, https://www.bbc.com/amharic/articles/c17p9ppg5xqo.

[viii] Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE, “Orthodox Bloodshed in Arsi: Five More Martyred, Three Abducted in Oromia Region, Ethiopia,” published November 5, 2025, accessed February 15, 2026, https://web.archive.org/web/20251219104756/http://ocpsociety.org/orthodox-bloodshed-in-arsi-five-more-martyred-three-abducted-in-oromia-region-ethiopia/ (archived from http://ocpsociety.org/orthodox-bloodshed-in-arsi-five-more-martyred-three-abducted-in-oromia-region-ethiopia), See also Department of Public Relations, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Facebook post, accessed February 15, 2026, https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02BwttfYFYuR6xRrgd2KsXXTGRTesXBYA3e2HcNd2acBLWysqUu7TiGZGtxmCPAA2Gl&id=100068379977850, and Borkena, “At Least Five Killed In A New Attack Against Orthodox Christians In Arsi,” published November 6, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://borkena.com/2025/11/06/ethiopia-at-least-five-killed-in-a-new-attack-against-orthodox-christians-in-arsi/.

[ix] Togolais Info, “Trois fidèles de l’Église orthodoxe éthiopienne tués lors d’une nouvelle attaque à Arsi,” published November 27, 2025, accessed February 15, 2026, https://www.togolais.info/trois-fideles-de-leglise-orthodoxe-ethiopienne-tues-lors-dune-nouvelle-attaque-a-arsi/, See also Borkena, “Three Followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Church Reportedly Killed in Fresh Attack in Arsi,” published November 22, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://borkena.com/2025/11/22/ethiopia-three-followers-of-ethiopian-orthodox-church-followers-killed-in-fresh-attack-in-arsi/.

[x] Addis Standard, “More than 25 Civilians Killed in East Arsi Zone, Oromia, in October, Orthodox Church Says,” published October 29, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://addisstandard.com/more-than-25-civilians-killed-in-east-arsi-zone-oromia-in-october-orthodox-church-says/.

[xi] Voice of Amhara, “Another Tragedy in Arsi: Dozens of Amhara Orthodox Christians Killed in Oromia,” published November 11, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://voiceofamhara.com/another-tragedy-in-arsi-dozens-of-amhara-orthodox-christians-killed-in-oromia/, See also, Amhara Association in Netherlands, “Massacre of Amhara Orthodox Christians in Arsi Reflects Continued Violence in Oromia,” published November 8, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://amharacommunity.nl/massacre-of-amhara-orthodox-christians-in-arsi-reflects-continued-violence-in-oromia/.

[xii] European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), “The ECLJ Submits Critical Report at the UN on the Ongoing Violence in Ethiopia Against Christians in the Amhara Region,” published September 13, 2023, accessed February 16, 2026, https://eclj.org/geopolitics/hrc/onu--leclj-soumet-une-declaration-ecrite-sur-les-violences-en-cours-en-ethiopie-contre-les-chretiens-amharas?lng=en.

[xiii] European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), “Ethnic Violence against Amhara People: the ECLJ Issues Urgent Letter to the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide,” published September 19, 2023, accessed February 16, 2026, https://eclj.org/geopolitics/un/ethnic-violence-against-amhara-people-the-eclj-issues-urgent-letter-to-the-un-special-adviser-on-the-prevention-of-genocide?lng=en.

[xiv] Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia, “ከኢትዮጵያ ካቶሊካዊት ቤተክርስቲያን የጳጳሳት ጉባኤ የተላለፈ የኀዘን መግለጫ,” published November 5, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://cbce-gs.org/ከኢትዮጵያ-ካቶሊካዊት-ቤተክርስቲያን-የ/, See also, The Catholic Herald, “Christians Face Rising Persecution in Ethiopia as Attacks Spread Across Oromia,” published November 10, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://thecatholicherald.com/article/christians-face-rising-persecution-in-ethiopia-as-attacks-spread-across-oromia, and Eurasia Review, “Ethiopia’s Catholic Bishops Condemn Deadly Attack On Parish, Call For Government Protection,” published November 7, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://www.eurasiareview.com/07112025-ethiopias-catholic-bishops-condemn-deadly-attack-on-parish-call-for-government-protection/.

[xv] YouTube, “MK TV //የወይራ ገነተ ሰማይ ቅድስት አርሴማ ቤተክርስቲያን በምን ምክንያት ተቃጠለ።,” video, accessed February 16, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSwFihH3HHM.

[xvi] Addis Standard, “OLA blames ‘government proxies’ for recent killings in Arsi, accuses the ruling party of ‘fueling new conflict’,” published November 8, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://addisstandard.com/ola-blames-government-proxies-for-recent-killings-in-arsi-accuses-the-ruling-party-of-fueling-new-conflict/.

[xvii] YouTube, “EOTC TV | በምሥራቅ አርሲ ዞን ለተገደሉ ኦርቶዶክሳውያን ከኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋህዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን ቋሚ ሲኖዶስ የተሰጠ መግለጫ #eotctv,” video, accessed February 16, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTa9Y6mT8B4.

[xviii] SCOOCH (Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches), “Statement of His Eminence Archbishop Petros on the Continued Persecution of Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia,” published January 31, 2026, accessed February 16, 2026, http://www.scooch.org/statement-of-his-eminence-archbishop-petros-on-the-continued-persecution-of-orthodox-christians-in-ethiopia/.

[xix] SCOOCH, “Statement of the Standing Conference of Oriental Orthodox Churches on the Massacre of Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia,” published November 20, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://www.scooch.org/statement-of-the-standing-conference-of-oriental-orthodox-churches-on-the-massacre-of-orthodox-christians-in-ethiopia/.

[xx] World Council of Churches (WCC), “WCC Letter of Condolences and Solidarity on the Tragic Killings in Arsi Zone, Ethiopia,” published November 13, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/wcc-letter-of-condolences-and-solidarity-on-the-tragic-killings-in-arsi-zone-ethiopia.

[xxi] X (formerly twitter), “በርካታ ዜጎች ሰሞኑን በኢትዮጵያ በአርሲ የተከተለውን የክርስትና እምነትን እና ዘርን ተኮር ግድያ ላይ የደረሰውን ሰቆቃ…,” post, November 13, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://x.com/ams_kas/status/1988821698150330414.

[xxii] Questions by Member Ceder (Christian Union) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs about killings and abductions of members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the Ethiopian region of Arsi (submitted November 11, 2025); Answer by Minister Van Weel (Foreign Affairs) (received December 4, 2025),” published December 4, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/ah-tk-20252026-552.html.

[xxiii] The sources for this were sent to me personally by a clergyman. The relevant documents are attached to the mail in PDF format.

[xxiv] BBC News Amharic, “በምሥራቅ ወለጋ የተፈጸመ የ19 ሰዎች ግድያ እና በስጋት ውስጥ ያሉት ነዋሪዎች,” published December 31, 2025, accessed February 16, 2026, https://www.bbc.com/amharic/articles/cp80nynk59jo.

[xxv] FSX Business, “Residents Report Massacre and Looting in East Wollega following Armed Assault,” published January 1, 2026, accessed February 16, 2026, https://www.fsxbusiness.com/east-wollega-residents-report-massacre.

[xxvi] Ethiopanorama, “በወለጋ 19 ሰው ተገድሏል።,” accessed February 16, 2026, https://ethiopanorama.com/?p=293749,

 See also: EPRP official page, Facebook post, accessed February 16, 2026, https://www.facebook.com/eprpinfo/posts/pfbid0fRVUKoANdE37xmmVW4Dqud6wXMgu6fUgB8i4d8YRXMAkSp1L761LgB2PwFvKCijcl.

[xxvii] Ibid. 25, our translation of “ልዩ ሀይሉ የሚፈልገውን አፍኖ እየጫነ ይወስዳል፣ የቀረውን በማንአለብኝነት ይገድላል" from the EPRP statement

[xxviii] European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), “Ethnic schism: A delicate way out of a crisis for Ethiopia,” published February 28, 2023, accessed February 16, 2026, https://eclj.org/religious-autonomy/un/schisme-ethnique--delicate-sorite-de-crise-en-ethiopie?lng=en#_ftn5.