Dozens of Christians were killed in a double attack in Ethiopia

Last week, two large-scale attacks on Christians took place in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, claiming the lives of at least 60 people. According to the Orthodoxia News Agency, citing information from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, all of the victims were Christians.

According to a statement from the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, 14 believers were killed on October 20 in the Merti district, and on October 24, another 46 people were killed in an attack in the Serka district. In addition to the human casualties, more than 20 homes were burned down during the attacks, and over 20 injured people were hospitalized with serious injuries.

The situation is complicated by the fact that regional authorities and rebel groups are trading mutual accusations of involvement in the incidents. The authorities in the Oromia region claim that the attacks were organized by a rebel alliance with the aim of fueling religious conflicts, but they have not provided convincing evidence. For their part, rebel representatives place the blame on the regional government, citing testimony from local residents.

Particular attention has been focused on the “Oromo Liberation Army” (OLA), which the authorities have repeatedly accused of attacking Orthodox Christians. The OLA is part of a broader alliance of armed groups whose goal is to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.