Staff Reporter
Nairobi, Kenya — At least 450 innocent civilians have been killed in ethnic and religious identity-based attacks across nine districts in the East Arsi Zone of the Oromia administration, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) revealed in a new report.
In its 158th special statement—spanning an investigation period from September 2021 to June 2026—the 37-page report documents widespread human rights violations, including physical injuries, mass detentions, rape, and extensive property destruction carried out by armed groups.
EHRCO conducted field observations and data collection as part of its investigation. The documented death toll across nine affected districts is as follows:
- Merti: 117 people
- Sherka: 116 people
- Jeju: 101 people
- Robe: 47 people
- Guna: 26 people
- Honkolo Wabe: 20 people
- Munisa: 19 people
- Asseko: 5 civilians and 4 local militiamen
- Arsi Sire: 3 people
The EHRCO published the names and identities of the deceased within the report.
Mass Displacement, Abductions, and Property Loss
In addition to the killings, armed groups abducted hundreds of residents in Sherka, Robe, Jeju, Merti, and Munisa districts. Some victims secured their release after families paid large ransoms, while the whereabouts of many others remain unknown. Furthermore, the report highlights that elderly citizens and children suffered severe physical trauma during the assaults.
The Council warned that security in East Arsi remains critical. The violence has displaced over 14,000 citizens, with the highest concentration of displaced persons recorded in:
- Jeju: 6,216 displaced
- Sherka: 3,746 displaced
- Asseko: 2,133 displaced
- Robe: 1,270 displaced
- Merti: 1,036 displaced
- Munisa: 29 displaced
- Guna: 21 displaced
Attacks also targeted religious institutions, leaving centuries-old churches burned, looted, or forced to close due to lingering insecurity.
Calls for Accountability and Restitution
The EHRCO concluded that the documented acts violate fundamental constitutional rights and international legal standards, bearing the hallmarks of crimes against humanity. Consequently, the Council called on federal and regional authorities to urgently:
- Provide sustained security protection for vulnerable communities.
- Investigate and bring all perpetrators to justice.
- Ensure adequate compensation for victims and facilitate the safe return of displaced families to their homes.
Neither federal nor regional security officials have issued a formal response to the EHRCO’s findings at the time of publication.
The federal and Oromia administrative governments have consistently linked the attacks to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which has operated extensively in the region since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed assumed office in 2018. At times, the government—backed by PR support from the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia—has claimed that the attacks were not targeting followers of any particular religion.
However, on the eve of the seventh general election in early June, an extensive attack targeted Orthodox Christians in Sherka, Arsi, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths alongside the burning of a church over a century old to the ground. During a subsequent parliamentary appearance, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed claimed that the attack was “designed to disrupt the election.”
EHRCO has been documenting the rights abuses in the Oromia region and other parts of the country for several years now.
__
Join our Telegram Channel: t.me/borkena
Like borkena on Facebook
Join the conversation. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian news updates regularly. Subscribe to the YouTube channel. To share information or for submission, email info@borkena.com
This savage act should be universally condemned. Arsi is just a stone throw away from Adama, the largest city in Oromia. Adama itself is a stone throw away from the capital city of the country and Oromia. So what has the other tallest politician in the Horn of Africa been doing about this barbarism? That amounts to nothing because the killings, maiming and displacement do not seem to go away. It seems the demons just take a recess and come back to do their satanic acts. What is Al-Toweel the Second Shemilis Abdisa doing besides thumbing his nose at American farmers who donated life saving drain during a raging famine? Totally incompetent, unqualified!!!!
Do you remember? Jawar promised this killing when he was in Minessota. He is partner in crime with Tplf, pp and Aby. Jawar said, there will not be any Orthodox Christian in Arusi, he will order his terrorists to cut off the neck of the Christian’s. Right now in Arusi, this is taking place. Pp is facilitating this. Pp who is boasting about mighty military, is standing idle facilitating forcibly changing orthodox followers to Islam.
In order for pp to stay in power for years, like Tplf, signed pact with U.S for Western corporations and defenses command to take over AU and Ethiopia’s natural resources. For example Ashley furniture corporation has now taken over vast forcests to cut off forests for furniture. What is in it and tge heart beat of pp? Wahabi Silte control of Ethiopia as perfect minority while converting Ethiopians to Islam. West has many years connections to radical Islam like they did in Syria installing terrorists. I guarantee you Aby, pp was under Tplf a terrorist organization killing Christian’s in Beshasha in 1990s. The Kembatas converting tge rest to Protestant. Siltes such as the Junedin Sado, Jawar, Aby have been trained in Muslim countries and were promised to control Ethiopia which they got through Tplf but the main order comes from Anglo saxons in England and U.S, who created Wahabi. Aby and Jawar dream is to be like kings in Dubai where tge entire country of Dubai including the wealth it is shared by between the Dubai kings, western corporations, England, US . Ethiopia is being prepared for slavery. Cry for Otthodox followers and the church! Dark days are coming for Orthodox followers! Ethiopia is already occupied!