Ethiopia’s Catholic Bishops condemn acts of violence committed against civilians in various parts of the country and appeal to men and women of goodwill to resist hatred and reject attempts to create division in society.
Vatican News
Deploring acts of violence and atrocities committed against civilians in various parts of Ethiopia, the country’s Catholic Bishops warned that such violence cannot be justified by any religious teachings, culture or political reasons.
In a statement condemning the continuing violence, the bishops highlighted attacks carried out in the Arsi Zone of Oromia Region by the Oromo Liberation Army militants in which dozens of people were killed, injured, displaced and abducted at the end of February.
The CBCE is “deeply saddened by the heinous and inhumane killings and property destruction targeting innocent people in different areas of our country, and especially the recurring brutality in the Arsi Zone,” the President of the Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Berhaneyesus, said in the statement.
The Cardinal reiterated the Church’s strong condemnation of “this inhumane act” and called on the government “to take all necessary measures to maintain the rule of law.”
Escalation of violence and atrocities
Local press reports signal an escalation of violence and catastrophic levels of human rights violations in the area, with civilians facing executions, injuries, large-scale property destruction, and forced displacement.
In its March 2026 report, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission documented these atrocities, revealing a series of systematic attacks and noting that 34 Orthodox Christians were recently killed, bringing the total number of victims in Shirka district alone to 164 this year.
Witnesses describe continuous terror, families fleeing their homes, and the humanitarian crisis that worsens, with thousands displaced and local economies paralysed by fear and destruction.
Appeal to all people of goodwill
The wave of unrest and violence in Oromia state that began in 2025 has reportedly claimed more than 1,244 civilian lives.
The bishops reiterated their condemnation of any form of violence against innocents, working together with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, and all people of goodwill.
“We urge all Ethiopians to resist hatred, not to follow these tragic events, and to reject any attempts to create division in our society,” they appeal.
