(OSV News) — The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church called on the Ethiopian government to intervene after armed assailants killed 60 Orthodox Christians in two separate attacks.
In a statement read Oct. 26 at the start of the Holy Synod’s plenary assembly in Addis Ababa, the country’s Orthodox bishops condemned the death and suffering inflicted upon Christians as a “reprehensible, inhumane deed.”
“Such an abhorrent act is completely unacceptable under the teachings of any religion or under principles of human rights, violates the constitutional right to freedom of religion and life, contravenes religious and natural moral order, and destroys our shared national values of mutual coexistence,” the Synod declared.
The attacks took place in rural farming communities across the Arsi Zone, roughly 120 miles south of Addis Ababa. According to the Holy Synod, assailants killed 14 people on Oct. 20 in the zone’s northern district of Merti, followed by a second attack on Oct. 24 that left 46 dead across several villages in neighboring Shirka district.
The bishops also said that more than 20 people were severely wounded and hospitalized, while 20 residential homes were burned to the ground.
According to BBC News, government officials have blamed the attacks on a newly formed rebel network known as the Alliance for Survival that includes the Oromo Liberation Army, or OLA, an armed opposition group in Ethiopia.
While OLA has not commented on the recent attacks, the BBC reported that it has denied carrying out similar attacks in the past.
Nevertheless, government authorities vowed to take action against those responsible for the attacks.
Although the Orthodox bishops did not name those responsible for the attacks, they warned that “horrific, gruesome massacres, displacement, and bodily and property harm inflicted upon our innocent Orthodox children in the Arsi Diocese and in various regions across our nation have been consistently and continually escalating over time.”
The Holy Synod called on authorities to bring the attackers to justice, publicly condemn the attacks, and deploy security forces to provide protection.
“Reiterating our deep sorrow over the loss of our children’s lives, we urge the government to provide the necessary protection so our faithful do not face similar attacks wherever they reside,” the bishops said. “We call on relevant security forces to accord special attention to this crisis, provide essential security until the problem is resolved, and carry out preventive operations capable of averting future danger.”
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