by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ADDIS ABABA (Worthy News) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has condemned attacks that reportedly killed dozens of Christians and displaced hundreds more in central Ethiopia in recent weeks.

At least 37 Orthodox Christians have been killed since late May, with more than 280 houses torched, according to investigators.

The center of the violence was the town of Aseko, about 105 miles (170 kilometers) southeast of Addis Ababa, the country’s capital, according to Christians familiar with the situation.

Christian sources said at least some believers were reportedly beheaded by suspected members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an armed insurgent group operating primarily in Ethiopia’s Oromia region. There was no immediate confirmation from the group.

The World Council of Churches reported that besides those killed, an Orthodox church more than a century old was torched while two other churches were looted during the violence, underscoring concerns that Christian communities were specifically targeted.

CHRISTIANS TARGETED

Prime Minister Abiy said the attacks sought to “inflame ethnic and religious tensions and deepen social divisions.”

According to church officials and local sources, violence struck communities in Sirie and Aseko districts around the time of Ethiopia’s parliamentary election period.

Witnesses said among the many targeted were two Christians killed in the Chitu area of Sirie district, while 11 others were killed in Aseko district.

Abune Elsa, archbishop of the Arsi and Jijiga Diocese, said killings also occurred in the Shirka and Enqolo Wabe districts and that hundreds of Christians were displaced from their homes.

The violence also destroyed the 101-year-old Tsellota Gabriel Church, which was reportedly set on fire and burned to the ground.

CHURCHES BURNED

Church leaders said more than 280 Christian families were forced from their homes.

Documented reports indicate that more than 200 Orthodox Christians, many of them ethnic Amhara believers, have been killed in East Arsi Zone during the last two years alone.

Local authorities have not publicly confirmed all reported casualties.

Human rights groups and government critics have accused authorities of downplaying reports of violence against civilians and failing to adequately protect vulnerable communities.

The attacks have renewed concerns about the safety of Christians in parts of Ethiopia where ethnic conflict, insurgent violence, and religious tensions increasingly overlap.

WORLD WATCH LIST

Christian advocacy group Open Doors ranks Ethiopia 36th on its 2026 World Watch List, which tracks the 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.

Open Doors says Christians in Ethiopia face pressures from Islamic extremism, ethnic violence, and hostility from armed groups in several regions.

While Ethiopia remains a majority-Christian nation, attacks on churches, clergy, and worshippers have increased in areas affected by insecurity and weak government control.

Christian advocates say the violence reflects a broader trend across sub-Saharan Africa, which has become the global epicenter of anti-Christian violence.

Open Doors says the overwhelming majority of Christians killed for their faith worldwide are now in sub-Saharan Africa.

AFRICA ABLAZE

The group says persecution of Christians in Africa is increasingly fueled by a combination of Islamist extremism, ethnic conflict, armed insurgencies, political instability, and weak law enforcement, particularly in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

In Ethiopia, Christians are often caught in wider conflicts involving ethnic identity, local grievances, and armed groups, leaving churches and Christian communities vulnerable to attack.

Mesfin Tegenu, executive chairman of the American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee, warned that prolonged instability has left Christian communities increasingly exposed.

“Across multiple regions of Ethiopia affected by prolonged internal conflict, Christian communities have faced attacks on places of worship, the killing or detention of clergy and worshippers, and the displacement of civilians,” he wrote.

He added that repeated reports of violence have produced little accountability, creating a climate in which perpetrators believe they can act with impunity.

CALLS FOR JUSTICE

“What makes the current moment especially alarming is the persistence of impunity. Repeated reports of harm to civilians have produced limited accountability, reinforcing perceptions that perpetrators of religiously motivated violence face few consequences,” Tegenu wrote.

“Local appeals for protection often go unanswered. International concern is acknowledged, but too often without sustained follow-through.”

Church leaders have urged authorities to improve security, protect places of worship, and bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.

For many survivors, the immediate challenge remains rebuilding homes, churches, and shattered communities after another deadly outbreak of anti-Christian violence.

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.

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