A wave of deadly attacks in Ethiopia’s Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region has claimed at least 34 lives, with local church authorities, human rights officials, and community members raising urgent alarm over the ongoing violence targeting Orthodox Christian civilians.
According to diocesan reports cited by Ethiopian media, 30 of the victims were killed within a three-day period in the Shirka District of East Arsi, while four additional deaths were recorded in the Merti District. At least eight people remain hospitalised, with some reported to be in critical condition. Eight others are currently unaccounted for, and two individuals have been confirmed abducted. Church-affiliated organisations indicate that the cumulative death toll of Orthodox Christians in Shirka District alone has reached approximately 164 over the past several months.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) confirmed that renewed attacks began as early as October 2025, spreading across multiple districts including Shirka, Guna, Merti, Aseko, and Onkolo Wabe. The EHRC said its findings were gathered from victims’ families, local residents, and government officials. The Commission specifically confirmed that attacks carried out on February 26, 2026, in the Jawi Kebele of Shirka District and the Geba Kebele of Robe District resulted in killings, injuries, abductions, and the displacement of an undetermined number of people.
EHRC Chief Commissioner Berhanu Adello publicly called on both the Federal Government and the Oromia Regional Government to deploy adequate security forces in affected areas, provide emergency humanitarian assistance to displaced communities, and take concrete steps to hold perpetrators accountable. He stressed that the ongoing violence has severely undermined residents’ ability to exercise their most fundamental rights.
The Ethiopian government has attributed the attacks to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an armed group it commonly refers to as “Shene.” The group, however, disputes this characterisation and denies responsibility. Recurring violence in the East Arsi Zone has been reported since 2018, with successive governmental claims that the security threat posed by OLA had been neutralised proving difficult to sustain in light of continued incidents.
In response to the latest killings, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Holy Synod issued a statement condemning the massacre and calling on authorities to protect the lives and constitutional rights of all Ethiopians. The Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council likewise condemned the violence and demanded that perpetrators be identified and brought to justice — a rare show of interfaith solidarity that underscores the breadth of public concern.
Survivors and community members in East Arsi have appealed to the government for protection, expressing deep fear that the killings will continue without meaningful intervention.
Sources: Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) — ehrc.org | Borkena Ethiopian News — borkena.com | BBC Amharic
