At Least 60 Orthodox Christians Killed in Attacks in Ethiopia's Oromia Region, Church Says
Photo: Al JazeeraAt least 60 Orthodox Christians were killed in separate attacks on October 20 and 24 in Ethiopia's Oromia region, church officials said in a statement late on Monday. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Holy Synod said 14 people died on October 20 in Gora Silingo, Angada Kebele, in Merti district, and 46 on October 24 in the villages of Tereta, Chole and Birbo in Shirka district. Both districts are in the Arsi Zone of central Oromia. More than 20 people were seriously injured and 20 homes were burned, the church said.
The Synod condemned the killings as a violation of constitutional protections for life and religious freedom. It urged government institutions to condemn the attacks publicly, strengthen civilian protection and bring those responsible to justice, and asked security agencies to give affected communities more protection. The Oromia regional government pledged to pursue those responsible. No one had claimed responsibility. A local official accused a newly formed rebel alliance that includes the Oromo Liberation Army of carrying out the attacks.
Right-leaning Townhall leads with an "apparent Islamic terror attack," citing the BBC and social media posts. It names the group as the Alliance for Survival, says security forces that came to help were reportedly unable to repel the assault, and cites an unverified video describing churches burned and families killed. It links the killings to a shooting at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, that left nine dead, describing both as attacks on Christians on two continents. Alternative outlets Al Jazeera and TRT World use neutral headlines and rely on the Synod's statement, including its quotes, its call for government action and the regional pledge. They do not describe the attackers' religion or mention Jordan. Both sides report the figures and the local official's accusation. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while alternative and right-leaning outlets had.
How the sides differ Right sources frame the killings as an apparent Islamic attack tied to a Jordan shooting; alternative sources stick to church statements and the regional government's pledge. Left sources have not covered it.
Headline, comparison and summary written by AI from the articles below. AI can make mistakes, so check the original articles before relying on a detail.
Not covering this story. None of the left-leaning outlets Crosswire tracks has reported it yet. What one side leaves out can be as telling as what the others report.
- TRT WorldState mediaAt least 60 Orthodox Christians killed in attacks in Ethiopia’s Oromia region
Al Jazeera and TRT World lead with the church's statement on the killings, giving locations, casualty figures, the Synod's demands and the regional government's pledge, with neutral headlines and little speculation about the attackers.
Townhall calls the killings an apparent Islamic terror attack, citing the BBC, social media posts and a local official's accusation, and ties them to a Jordan church shooting days earlier.