Attacks on churches and villages kill more than 40 in Ethiopia
Attacks on Orthodox Christian churches and villages in Ethiopia’s Oromia region killed more than 40 people on Saturday, according to residents and a church deacon. The killings matter because they have heightened fears that already serious religious tensions could deepen the region’s wider conflict.
Witnesses reported attacks on two churches and the destruction of several homes, with reported death tolls ranging from 44 to 51; restrictions on media access make the figures difficult to verify. Oromia, home to about 40 million people from Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox communities, has faced a long-running insurgency and ethnic tensions, while clashes in the nearby Somali region have also displaced thousands across the Kenyan border.
In short
- Attacks in Oromia killed more than 40 people.
- Witnesses reported two churches and homes were attacked.
- The death toll remains difficult to verify.
Explained simply
Oromia is Ethiopia’s largest region by population, with Muslim, Protestant and Orthodox Christian communities. It has faced a long-running insurgency and ethnic tensions, while conflict in neighbouring areas has also displaced people.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the country’s largest religious institutions. Attacks on churches can heighten fears among worshippers and add religious tension to conflicts already shaped by political and ethnic divisions.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Massacre of Christians leaves more than 40 dead in Ethiopia”.