More than 40 people were k!lled in attacks on Orthodox Christian churches and villages in Ethiopia on Saturday
The attacks took place in Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest state, which has faced a long-running insurgency and ethnic tensions, with armed groups using religion to inflame divisions.
‘My sister and uncle were k!lled, and several of my relatives were taken hostage in Chole ward of Shirka district,’ one resident said.
They said 44 people were killed in the region, while another resident put the toll at 51.
Verifying information in Ethiopia is highly challenging due to heavy restrictions on media access.
The state-run Ethiopia Human Rights Commission said only that it was ‘following the situation’.
‘Religious tensions remain very high in the area and could escalate into a wider crisis if left unaddressed,’ the first witness said.
The witnesses said two churches in the region had been attacked.
‘Several homes belonging to targeted residents were also destroyed,’ one witness said.
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