BBC Amharic - More than 30 people killed in Arsi Zone last week according to sources from the area
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- Mar 5
- 4 min read
Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from BBC Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
BBC Amharic - More than 30 people killed in Arsi Zone last week according to sources from the area
March 2, 2026
Over the past week including Sunday militants carried out attacks which left more than 30 people killed in Arsi Zone of Oromia Region according to church officials who spoke to BBC.
On the night of Sunday, March 1, 2026 (Yekatit 22, 2018 EC) additional attacks left at least two people killed according to three sources from the area.
BBC spoke to five residents from the area and church officials who said attacks in Shirka and Merti Woredas in Arsi Zone began from the beginning of last week.
On Tuesday, February 24, 2026 (Yekatit 17, 2018 EC) the first attack took place in the “Fekersa” area of Merti Woreda leaving four people killed according to church officials and one resident who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another resident whose father was attacked in a nearby area said four residents were shot and killed. After the attack militants which came to their area struck his father on his “leg using a knife” and set their home on fire.
One local church official said the four killed people included “one Muslim, and three of his Christian friends. When he asked, ‘why are you killing Christians?’ they called him a collaborator and killed him too.”
The highest number of fatalities took place in the second attack on Thursday, February 26, 2026 (Yekatit 19, 2018 EC) said sources. This attack took place in Jawi Wachu Kebele of Shirka Woreda where 19 people were killed say church officials and residents.
A resident and member/official of the Jawi Abune Gebre Menfes Qidus Church said “they arrived suddenly at 3 pm. After what they did, 21 people were shot dead, they did what they wanted and entered” he said explaining what happened. He said two of his relatives were killed.
The residents were killed “where they were” said sources, attacks took place on the road and inside their homes. On Thursday, killed residents were buried “en masse” in Jawi Abune Gebre Menfes Qidus Church, he explained.
BBC spoke to three sources which said the following day at around 3 pm or 4 pm another attack in the same kebele left eight people killed. “Five persons were also abducted” and taken away said a local church official.
In addition, the militants burned down “houses belonging to local residents and the church administrative office” he explained.
“They threw elderly men and women into the fire and burned them alive” said residents, and after the attack a large number of residents fled the area.
Sources said eight people injured from the two attacks were receiving medical care.
Yesterday (Sunday) night at least two residents were killed in Shirka Woreda according to one resident and one church official who spoke to BBC.
In Sunday’s attack “two elderly brothers” were killed inside their homes. Another local resident said “five people” were killed.
Merti Woreda administrator Ato Kelil Gena told BBC the “attack was not religiously motivated.”
Among the four killed people one was Muslim said the administrator, saying the first attack was carried out “against a Muslim resident” and that “the other three Christians were killed attempting to defend the Muslim.”
Ato Kelil said the attack was carried out by “Shene” militants. He mentioned that four homes were burned down in the attack.
The woreda administrator said he could not provide further details as he was deployed to the area with security forces, and said security forces exchanged fire with the militants.
On Saturday, February 28, 2026 (Yekatit 21, 2018 EC) the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Permanent Synod issued a statement saying 21 “civilian Orthodox believers were brutally killed, survivors were abducted and their whereabouts were unknown” in East Arsi, and added homes and property belonging to ten families were burned down and destroyed.
The Permanent Synod said the killing of civilians was carried out “in the name of religion” and said, “they may have carried it out in the name of religion, but they were not religious individuals.”
The Synod said the attack was carried out with intent to create conflict between religious institutions which have coexisted in harmony for ages.
They said, “followers of the Muslim faith and Christians should jointly condemn them.”
On Sunday, March 1, 2026 (Yekatit 22, 2018 EC) the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council issued a statement saying, “we are deeply saddened by the horrific accident which has struck innocent followers of the Orthodox Christian faith.”
The Supreme Council said the act “did not represent any religion” and said, “we believe it was an evil act intended to create suspicion and conflict between religious followers which have coexisted for ages.”
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Permanent Synod through its East Arsi Diocese said the repeated attacks, killings and displacement “violated the right of followers of the Orthodox faith to travel, work and worship freely in any part of our country.”
The Permanent Synod said regional authorities and the local administration were “making efforts to resolve the problem” and called for actions to prevent the problem from recurring from its source.
The Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia condemned the killing saying, “authorities should investigate the perpetrators of this horrific act which goes against religion and humanity and bring them to justice.”
The Council in its statement called on “citizens living in the area to take necessary measures to prevent similar attacks from taking place.”
In addition, “all religious institutions should condemn this horrific act under one voice” and they called “to stand together and take all necessary actions to prevent any similar attack from taking place.”
In the month of Tikimit “unidentified militants” carried out attacks on followers of the Orthodox faith in Guna, Merti, Shirka and Holonqo Wabe Woredas of East Arsi Zone, killing 25 people including children according to family members of victims and Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church officials who spoke to BBC.
No comment has been made by Federal or Oromia Region authorities regarding the consecutive killings.
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