The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRCO) called on Tuesday for a “timely and adequate” government response to a series of attacks in the Oromia region that killed members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and others.
The commission said it had gathered information indicating that most of the victims were Orthodox Christians, with attacks concentrated in East Arsi’s Guna, Merti, Sherka, and Holonto districts during the night of Oct. 24-25. People of other faiths, including Muslims, were also reportedly killed.
The total number of casualties remains unclear. Local media outlet Borkena reported that more than 25 civilians, mostly Orthodox Christians, were killed in the districts. EHRCO also confirmed that on Nov. 4, five farmers were killed while returning from harvesting teff in Godo, Merti district; one of the victims was a 10-year-old boy.
On Monday, the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia released a report claiming the victims were not from a single faith group, a statement that drew criticism from local dioceses in Arsi.
EHRCO’s report said armed groups, including radical ethnic Oromo nationalists, were behind the killings. The commission said most of the violence specifically targeted members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
A coalition of six major Ethiopian opposition parties has called for an independent investigation into the attacks.
