Ethiopia: More than 60 Orthodox Christians killed in Oromia attacks

More than 60 people were killed in a series of attacks on Christians in three areas of Shirka district in Ethiopia’s Oromia region, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. A resident said attackers had surrounded the community in an ambush; five of those killed were children, and 20 homes were burned. Regional authorities said they would act against those responsible, while a local official blamed a newly formed rebel coalition, the Alliance for Survival, which includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA); the OLA has not commented on these attacks. A report published in July by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council recorded 458 people killed in attacks in the area over the previous four years, with Orthodox Christians among the communities repeatedly targeted.