Two Attacks in Ethiopia in One Week Leave 60 Christians Dead and 20 Homes Burned; Orthodox Bishops Condemn the Killings
Fourteen people died on Oct. 20 and 46 more on Oct. 24, per reports Breitbart cites. A local official blames a new rebel coalition that includes the OLA, which has denied earlier attacks.
Armed attackers killed 60 Christians in two assaults in Ethiopia this week, Breitbart reports, relying on The Independent, the BBC and OSV News.
The attacks. Breitbart says one attack on Oct. 20 and another on Oct. 24 left 60 Christians dead and 20 homes burned. The Independent reported 14 killed in Merti district on the 20th and 46 in Shirka district four days later. More than 20 people were injured, per the report.
The church response. The BBC said a church official called the attacks on three areas in Shirka a "massacre" and said security forces arrived but could not stop the assault. The Orthodox Church said concerns about the safety of Christian communities had been raised with the authorities, but "so far there has been no solution."
The bishops. As the Holy Synod opened its plenary assembly in Addis Ababa on Monday, Orthodox bishops condemned the killings as a "reprehensible, inhumane deed." The Synod said the attack "violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion and life."
Who is blamed. The BBC reported that 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. The BBC noted it has denied carrying out previous attacks of this kind.
Note for readers: Breitbart's piece is a short roundup of other outlets' reporting. The death toll and the blame come from those outlets and a local official, and the attribution has not been independently confirmed by us.