By Bethania Wonagseged —
Taking cues from other Islamists in Africa, extremist Muslims in Ethiopia are now massacring Christians, with the latest attacks tallying 144 dead mostly from the Orthodox and Catholic communities in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region.
Since September, militants have staged coordinated attacks. The so-called Oromo Liberation Army raided the Asebot Monastery in the West Hararghe Zone. Anbes Felate, was killed, and his son, Betre Anbes, was critically injured. Two others were abducted.
In Oct. 24-28, extremists have hit multiple districts in Arsi. In one attack, 24 Orthodox Christians were killed, including a toddler and an 86-year-old. Seventeen Orthodox Christians were killed in the Guna in Nono Jawi and Merti Districts; three were killed in the Hela Zebaba of Sherka District, and five were killed in the Qeqsa locality of Honkolo Wabe District. Victims included entire families, with ages ranging from two to 76, and several faithful and church servants were kidnapped.
In November, another three more were killed, including a 10-year-old boy. In a separate attack in Merti District, at least five Orthodox Christians were killed while working on grain farms. Local witnesses reported that the victims included a husband, a wife and a neighbor.
Three individuals who had been missing since the previous attack were later found dead. A child who survived the previous attack underwent a leg amputation at a hospital in Wolaita after suffering severe gunshot wounds.
Additional incidents were reported in the East Arsi Diocese. More than a dozen churches have been closed or forced to suspend services over the past five years because of security threats, and at least three churches have been looted. The region has become one of the epicenters of anti-Orthodox violence.
Local residents have repeatedly voiced their concerns to diocesan and regional authorities, but their appeals have gone unanswered. Clergy in Arsi told DNE Africa that more than 200 believers have been killed in Merti District alone in recent years, and they have called for an urgent investigation and federal protection.
Local government authorities have denied the killings. Officials in the Oromia region said that “no one was killed” and that the area remains “peaceful.” Arsi Zone Administrator Ibrahim Kedir also denied that the attacks occurred, calling the reports “false with a political goal to instigate instability.”
Ethiopia has an estimated 77.5 million Christians and is home to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, with roots dating back to the fourth century. Around 330 AD, King Ezana of Aksum converted to Christianity, making it the state religion.
Ethiopian Orthodoxy is practiced by about 44 percent of the population, with Protestants making up a further 23 percent. Tigray is the cradle of African Christianity and lays claim to the Queen of Sheba, the Kingdom of Axum and the Ark of the Covenant. Ethiopia’s Christians continue to face persecution from ethnic militias, extremist groups, and what some describe as state-sponsored violence.
Related content: Massacre of Christians in the Congo, an overview of persecution in the Sub-Sahara, genocide in Nigeria. Sources: Gateway Pundit, others.
