In Ethiopia, deadly attacks against civilian populations—particularly Orthodox Christians in the Oromia region—continue amid ethnic violence and political fragmentation. The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) is sounding the alarm over the rise in massacres, kidnappings, ransom demands, and the destruction of places of worship.

Ethiopia holds one of the world's oldest Christian traditions, with Christianity becoming the official religion of the Kingdom of Aksum as early as the 4^th century. Today, Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholic Christian communities live in a country deeply fractured by political and ethnic divisions. In the Arsi Zone of the Oromo region, Amhara Orthodox Christians are especially vulnerable to violence, though they are not the only victims of the conflicts tearing the nation apart.

The ECLJ denounces this situation and calls on the international community not to look away. Reported attacks against Christian worshippers, churches, and villages demand independent investigations, effective protection for civilians, and an international response proportionate to the gravity of these events.

October 2026: A Chronicle of Massacres

The month of October 2026 has been marked by a series of deadly attacks against Christian populations in Oromia. According to information relayed by local sources and representatives of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church:

• October 12, in Shirka: Getu Assefa was killed while working in a field.
• October 15, in Mechitu Lalo: Three Christian worshippers were executed.
• October 17, in Hela Zenbaba: Two people were killed and five others were kidnapped.
• October 20, in the Merti region: Fourteen people lost their lives in an attack.
• October 24, in Chole and Birbo (Shirka district): Forty-six Christians were massacred in their homes.

Federal authorities attribute this violence to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), though the group's responsibility has not yet been independently established for each incident. For its part, the OLA has consistently denied carrying out massacres targeting civilians.

These massacres are part of a longer-standing trend. According to an analysis by the organization ACLED, more than a third of the 159 episodes of violence against civilians recorded in the Arsi Zone (Oromia region) since February 2023 specifically targeted Orthodox residents. This finding demonstrates that religious affiliation is a key targeting factor in these attacks.

Furthermore, a report by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) published in July 2026 details 454 civilians killed in the East Arsi Zone between September 2021 and June 2026. It also notes more than 14,000 displaced persons—including 3,746 in the Shirka district alone—amid a wave of kidnappings for ransoms reaching up to 500,000 birrs (approximately 2,760 euros).

These atrocities occur regularly. In early June 2026, homes belonging to Orthodox Christians were set on fire in the Aseko district. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission also confirmed forced displacements and the destruction of the historic St. Gabriel Church in Teleta. In mid-June, priest Abayneh Tebeqe was also kidnapped and subsequently murdered.

Despite its claimed victory in the June 2026 legislative elections, the federal government has clearly lost control of the territory. Ethiopia is fragmented: Tigray and the Amhara region have once again become theaters of open warfare, enduring drone bombardments from the regular army. At least 25 people were killed on October 29 and 30, 2026, in drone strikes by the federal government. The southern border is in flames, forcing 50,000 Oromo and Somali refugees into Kenya. In this chaos, Orthodox Christians—historically tied to the culture of the federal power and the Amhara ethnicity—become perfect scapegoats for factions seeking to ignite a holy war.

The ECLJ relentlessly documents this violence targeting the Amharas and the violations of religious freedom, notably through its report "The Silent Suffering of the Amhara People in Ethiopia," published in April 2024 and updated in July 2026. In June 2023 and August 2026, we alerted the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide to the heightened risk of mass crimes in the country. To break this silence, we took this fight directly to the European Parliament on June 17, 2026, by organizing a conference featuring Ethiopian Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate.

Despite the discretion of international institutions, Western political figures reacted following the massacres of Orthodox believers perpetrated in October 2026. In the United States, the House Foreign Affairs Committee reacted strongly, calling these targeted attacks "completely unacceptable" and demanding the protection of Christians as well as the punishment of the perpetrators. In the European Parliament, Greek MEP Nikolas Farantouris (PASOK / S&D) filed an urgent written question to the Commission, denouncing Europe's "unacceptable silence" which weakens its influence in this strategic region. In France, Senator Valérie Boyer (LR) shared these warnings on X (formerly Twitter), reusing the phrase "Silence. Killing in Progress," which she had previously used in the National Assembly in 2014 regarding Middle Eastern Christians, deploring that massacres are repeating themselves amidst general indifference.

The "Alliance for Survival" Armed Coalition

Ethiopia has a population of approximately 139 million in 2026. According to the latest national reference census, Oromos account for 34.5% of the population and Amharas 26.9%. Religiously, Orthodox Christians make up 43.5% of the population, Muslims 33.9%, and Protestants 18.6%. Today, rivalries over institutional control and territorial conflicts exacerbate the country's fragmentation.

It is within this context of shifting armed alliances that the massacres of Christians are occurring. On September 20, 2026, seven armed movements announced the creation of the "Alliance of Ethiopian People's Forces for Survival," a coalition the government refers to as "Tsimdo." It brings together the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara Fano national movement, and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), alongside the Ogaden National Liberation Front, an Afar movement, the Benishangul Liberation Movement, and the Gumuz Movement.

This alliance, which states its intention to overthrow the government to establish a transitional administration, raises the risk of a major escalation in clashes. It is particularly striking given that the TPLF and the Fano militias fought on opposing sides during the Tigray War (2020-2022) before uniting today against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Ethiopian authorities accuse Eritrea of providing military and financial backing to this coalition, which Eritrea denies. Relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have severely deteriorated: Eritrea did not sign the Pretoria peace agreement and fiercely opposes Ethiopia's ambitions to secure sovereign access to the sea by force, an access it has been deprived of since Eritrean independence in 1993.

An Insufficient International Response

The mandate of the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia ended in October 2023, depriving the international community of a vital independent investigative tool. In the face of this vacuum, the passivity of international partners raises questions: how can they continue to financially support the Ethiopian government without demanding strict accountability mechanisms?

Indeed, the European Union maintains its financial cooperation with a funding package of around 650 million euros for the 2024-2027 period, and resumed direct budgetary support of 140 million euros in April 2026. In parallel, the IMF approved a 3.4 billion dollar program, of which Ethiopia has already received 2.65 billion. The World Bank also supports economic reforms to the tune of several billion dollars.

Diplomatically and militarily, Abiy Ahmed's regime benefits from global Realpolitik. Its official integration into BRICS in January 2024 provides a convenient political shield. For their part, the United States lifted the state of emergency and certain financial sanctions in September 2026, as Washington fears that isolating Addis Ababa would cause the Horn of Africa to tip entirely under the influence of Beijing and Moscow. On October 28, 2026, Abiy Ahmed announced that Ethiopia had received twelve Su-35 fighter jets as well as S-400 defense systems purchased from Russia.

In the face of repeated attacks against civilians, and particularly against Christians, Ethiopian authorities hold the primary responsibility to protect all communities living within their territory without any discrimination. The international community must demand access to conflict zones, support independent investigations, protect witnesses, and ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice. Ethiopia's economic partners have a duty to ensure that their financial cooperation does not contribute to worsening the violations being committed, and must imperatively condition their aid on clear human rights requirements.