Sixty people killed in attack on Orthodox Christian village in Ethiopia

By Roberta Barbi and Deborah Castellano Lubov

An armed group killed at least 60 people in attacks targeting Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia, overnight from Saturday to Sunday.

The attack took place in the Shirka district in the Arsi area of Ethiopia’s Oromia region. The death toll remains provisional and elderly and children were among the victims.

According to witness accounts, the assailants went from house to house, killing residents with gunfire and knives.

One church was reportedly damaged, while churches in neighbouring villages provided shelter to people fleeing the attack.

Suspected rebel coalition

The attack took place in an area inhabited by Muslims, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians.

According to information available so far, a rebel coalition identified by Ethiopian authorities as “Tsimido” is believed to be operating in the area.

The coalition reportedly includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the Amhara Fano militias and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which Addis Ababa classifies as a terrorist organisation.

Authorities have accused the coalition of carrying out targeted attacks to fuel ethnic and religious tensions and divert attention from rebel defeats in northern Ethiopia.

Deadly violence continues

According to Ethiopian authorities, the coalition formed an alliance with rebels in the Tigray region about a month ago, with the stated aim of overthrowing the federal government.

The Arsi area has previously been the scene of deadly violence. Between late May and early June, about 11 people were killed in an attack by armed men, which the authorities attributed to the OLA.