Over 60 Orthodox Christians killed in Ethiopia’s Oromia

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church says more than 60 Christians were killed in two attacks in Ethiopia’s Oromia region this month, with 14 worshippers dying on Oct. 20 and 46 more on Oct. 24, according to reports from the BBC and Africanews.

The church’s Holy Synod made the toll public on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. It said attacks on Christians have been increasing recently. Oromia is Ethiopia’s largest region, home to about 40 million people.

Africanews, citing Reuters and AFP, reported that the first attack struck the Merti district and the second the Sherka district. More than 20 homes were set on fire and more than 20 people were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Church authorities said all of the victims were Christians but did not say who was responsible.

The BBC reported that eyewitnesses told its Amharic service five of those killed were children. One resident whose 75-year-old father died described the Oct. 24 attack as an ambush in which villagers were surrounded.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, known as ACLED, told AFP the Oct. 24 attack was “believed to be religiously motivated and to have targeted Orthodox Christians.” It cited reports of looting at an Orthodox church. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission told AFP it was monitoring the situation. The reports cited no statement from the federal or regional government, and no group has claimed responsibility. The involvement of the Oromo Liberation Front, the region’s main insurgent group, has not been established.

The BBC said the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, a non-governmental organization, reported in July 2026 that 458 people had been killed in attacks in the area over the previous four years. It said previous reports have also documented attacks on Muslims, and that residents have described the violence as both ethnic and religious in nature. ACLED says attacks on Orthodox Christians in Oromia have risen since February 2023 and intensified over the past year.

For Canadians, the advisory from Global Affairs Canada, last updated Oct. 14, 2026, tells travellers to avoid non-essential travel to Ethiopia, with Addis Ababa rated at a high degree of caution. It tells Canadians to avoid all travel to several central Oromia zones, including North Shewa and the Wollega zones, and warns that the security situation could deteriorate without warning. Ottawa also says its ability to provide consular help is limited in areas affected by armed conflict. Canadians with family in the region can check the full advisory.

Ethiopian Orthodox congregations operate in Canadian cities, including a church in London, Ont., so news of attacks on the church’s members in Ethiopia resonates with diaspora communities here.

The attacks add to a tense security picture across the country. Canada News Media has reported on Ethiopia’s six-month caretaker rule in Tigray and on Ethiopian troops entering Zalambessa on the Eritrea border. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission told AFP it is examining the details of the Oromia killings.

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Via Africanews and the BBC.