All articles tagged with #oromia
At least 60 Orthodox Christians were killed in two separate attacks in Ethiopia's Oromia region on October 20 and 24. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church described the violence as a 'massacre' and called for government protection. Authorities blamed a rebel coalition, while the Oromo Liberation Army denied involvement.
At least 60 Orthodox Christians were killed in two separate attacks in Ethiopia's Oromia region on October 20 and 24. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church described the violence as a 'massacre' and called for government protection. Authorities blamed a rebel coalition, while the Oromo Liberation Army denied involvement.
More than 60 people were killed in a series of attacks on Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia's Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The violence, described as a 'massacre' by church officials, involved the burning of 20 houses and the killing of at least five children. While the regional government blamed a rebel coalition including the Oromo Liberation Army, the group denied involvement. The attacks are part of a broader pattern of religiously motivated violence in the region, with 458 people killed in similar incidents over the past four years.
Hundreds of Ethiopians, primarily women and children, have fled into Kenya’s Moyale town following armed clashes between security forces from Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states. The violence, which began on Wednesday and intensified on Thursday, was triggered by a dispute over the display of the Somali Regional State flag in an area administered by Oromia. Kenyan authorities and the Red Cross are providing emergency shelter and supplies to approximately 1,000 households, while reports indicate gunfire, injuries, and property destruction in the border town. This conflict is distinct from, yet occurs alongside, the ongoing war in northern Tigray.
An Al Jazeera explainer uses a map to show Ethiopia’s 80+ ethnic groups and the conflict fronts ahead of the June 1 nationwide elections. The Oromo (about 35%), Amhara (about 24%), Somali (7%), Tigrayan (6%), and Sidama (4%) are the largest groups shaping a federation organized into 12 regions around ethnicity. Since 2020, violence has persisted in Tigray, Oromia and Amhara, with ACLED recording about 7,400 attacks from 2022-2026 and Amhara the most volatile. Despite peace deals, reconstruction needs and inflation weigh on growth while NEBE prepares to announce results in June.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has expressed concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in Ethiopia, particularly in the Amhara region. The state of emergency declared in August has led to mass arrests, with over 1,000 people detained, many of whom are young Amhara ethnic origin suspected of supporting the Fano militia. Reports indicate that detainees are being held in improvised detention centers lacking basic amenities. The UN calls on authorities to stop mass arrests, ensure judicial review of detentions, and grant access to oversight bodies. Allegations of ethnic Tigrayans being detained in Western Tigray and human rights violations in Oromia are also of concern. The UN urges prompt investigations and accountability for all human rights violations and abuses in Ethiopia.