Arsi, Ethiopia: Allegations of Mass Atrocities Against Orthodox Christians Demand Immediate International Action
To: Members of the United States Congress; the U.S. Department of State; the European Union and European Parliament; the United Nations; Amnesty International; Human Rights Watch; the International Society for Human Rights; the World Council of Churches; the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church; and all international human rights and religious freedom organizations.
Subject: Arsi, Ethiopia: Urgent Call to Investigate Alleged Mass Killings, Religious Persecution, and Ethnic Cleansing of Orthodox Christians
Dear Members of the International Community, Distinguished Members of the United States Congress, Human Rights Advocates, and Leaders of the World’s Churches,
I write with profound anguish and an urgent plea for action on behalf of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in Arsi, Ethiopia, whose lives, religious freedom, and very existence are reportedly under grave threat. We appeal to you not merely as observers of a distant conflict, but as defenders of human dignity, religious freedom, and the fundamental right of every human being to live without fear of persecution or death because of their faith.
How many innocent lives must be lost before the international community acts? How many churches must burn, how many families must be destroyed, and how many children must witness the murder of their loved ones before the world refuses to remain silent?
A Deepening Humanitarian and Religious Freedom Crisis
Since Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister of Ethiopia, the country has endured devastating armed conflicts, including the war in Tigray and continued violence affecting communities in Amhara and Oromia. Amid this broader crisis, reports of targeted attacks against Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in several parts of the country have raised deeply troubling questions about civilian protection, religious freedom, and accountability.
Communities in Wollega, Bale, Shashemene, and Arsi, among other areas, have reportedly experienced killings, displacement, destruction of religious institutions, and other forms of violence. Allegations concerning the involvement or failure of government security forces to protect civilians demand serious, independent, and impartial investigation.
We are particularly concerned about the situation in Western and Eastern Arsi, where reports describe attacks against Orthodox Christian communities, the burning of churches, and the killing of civilians, including women, children, and elderly people.
According to accounts shared by concerned community members, the violence in Western Arsi over the past two years has included the alleged killing of tens of thousands of Christians and the destruction of more than 50 churches. These figures require independent verification, but the seriousness of the allegations alone demands an urgent international response. Every reported death deserves investigation, every destroyed place of worship deserves attention, and every surviving family deserves protection and justice.
Now, disturbing reports indicate that violence has spread or intensified in Eastern Arsi, threatening additional communities and raising fears that the suffering experienced elsewhere may be repeated.
We cannot allow the people of Arsi to become another forgotten population in a world already overwhelmed by conflict.
Reports of Recent Killings, Intimidation, and Religious Coercion
Reports received from Eastern Arsi indicate that more than 60 civilians may have been killed during the past two weeks. Concerned residents have also described threats against Christian communities, alleged pressure on people to abandon their faith, and acts of intimidation directed at Orthodox Christians.
Particularly alarming are accounts that government personnel have gone from house to house questioning residents about who shared photographs and videos of funerals and burials. There are also reports that individuals have had their crosses, visible symbols of their Christian faith, forcibly removed.
If substantiated, these allegations would represent serious violations of fundamental rights, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the right to life and security. Any effort to intimidate witnesses, suppress evidence, or prevent victims from documenting abuses must be independently investigated and condemned.
We are also deeply concerned by reports that responsibility for violence in Arsi has been attributed to armed groups operating elsewhere, without a sufficiently transparent investigation accessible to the public. Whatever the identity of the perpetrators, civilians must not be abandoned to violence, and allegations must be examined based on credible evidence rather than political convenience.
The Ethiopian government has a fundamental obligation to protect all civilians within its territory, regardless of ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, or geographic location. Where members of the security forces are implicated in abuses, or where authorities knowingly fail to prevent or investigate serious crimes, independent scrutiny and accountability are essential.
The Silence of the World Is Not an Acceptable Response
We appeal directly to the United States Congress, the European Parliament, the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the World Council of Churches.
We ask: Why should the suffering of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians receive less attention? Why should families who lose their children, parents, and loved ones be left to seek justice without meaningful international support? Why should communities fear that reporting atrocities will expose them to further intimidation?
Religious freedom must not depend on which religious community is affected, which government is responsible, or whether speaking out is politically convenient.
The international community has repeatedly affirmed that the protection of civilians, freedom of religion, and accountability for serious human rights violations are universal obligations. Those principles must apply in Arsi just as they apply everywhere else.
We are not asking the international community to take sides in a political or religious conflict. We are asking it to take the side of innocent civilians, truth, justice, and human dignity.
Our Urgent Demands
We respectfully but firmly call upon the international community to take the following actions:
1. Demand an independent international investigation.
Call for an impartial investigation into reported killings, attacks on Orthodox Christian communities, church burnings, alleged forced religious conversion, and possible involvement or complicity of government personnel. The investigation should establish the facts, identify responsible individuals, preserve evidence, and make its findings public to the extent possible.
2. Press the Ethiopian government to protect civilians immediately.
Demand effective protection for vulnerable communities in Eastern and Western Arsi and other affected areas. Authorities must prevent further attacks, protect religious institutions, ensure safe access for humanitarian organizations, and investigate credible allegations against all perpetrators, regardless of their position or affiliation.
3. Establish credible international monitoring and reporting.
Urge the United Nations, relevant regional institutions, and independent human rights organizations to document reported abuses, interview survivors and witnesses where safe, verify casualty figures, and monitor threats against communities and those reporting violations.
4. Protect witnesses, survivors, and the free flow of evidence.
Call for safeguards against intimidation, retaliation, and the suppression of photographs, videos, testimony, and other evidence. Independent journalists, humanitarian organizations, and human rights investigators must be able to document events safely and impartially.
5. Hold those responsible accountable.
Where evidence establishes individual responsibility for murder, persecution, religiously motivated violence, or other serious crimes, support lawful investigations and appropriate prosecutions. Where credible evidence demonstrates that officials ordered, enabled, or knowingly failed to prevent serious abuses, their conduct must also be examined under applicable law.
6. Protect religious freedom and the right to worship.
Demand that Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and all other religious communities be able to practice their faith without threats, coercion, discrimination, or violence. Churches, monasteries, clergy, religious leaders, and worshipers must receive equal protection under the law.
7. Consider targeted diplomatic measures where warranted.
The United States, European Union, and other international partners should consider appropriate measures, consistent with applicable law and credible evidence, against individuals found responsible for serious human rights abuses. International assistance and diplomatic engagement should reinforce civilian protection, transparency, and accountability.
8. Ensure humanitarian assistance reaches affected communities.
Support impartial humanitarian organizations assisting displaced families, survivors, orphaned children, injured civilians, and people who have lost their homes or livelihoods. Emergency assistance must be provided without discrimination based on religion or ethnicity.
A Direct Appeal to the United States Congress and the European Union
To the Members of the United States Congress: we urge you to request briefings from the State Department, raise the situation in Arsi through appropriate congressional channels, support credible fact-finding efforts, and press for concrete measures to protect vulnerable civilians and investigate alleged abuses.
To the European Union and European Parliament: we ask you to place the situation of religious minorities and civilians in Arsi firmly on the diplomatic agenda, demand transparent investigations, and support independent human rights monitoring.
To Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other human rights organizations: we ask you to investigate these reports, seek corroboration from reliable sources, document the experiences of survivors, and ensure that allegations of grave abuses receive the attention their seriousness warrants.
To the World Council of Churches and Christian leaders worldwide: we appeal to your moral responsibility to stand with communities facing threats to their lives and freedom of worship. We ask you to raise your voices, mobilize humanitarian support, engage relevant church and government authorities, and stand in solidarity with Ethiopian Orthodox Christians who fear for their families and their future.
To the United Nations and international human rights mechanisms: we ask you to use the appropriate investigative, diplomatic, and reporting mechanisms available to establish the facts, protect civilians, and advance accountability.
We Refuse to Let These Communities Be Forgotten
Behind every reported casualty is a human life. Behind every destroyed church is a community's history, faith, and identity. Behind every grieving parent is a family whose future has been shattered. Behind every frightened child is a person who deserves the chance to grow up in safety, dignity, and peace.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is an ancient Christian tradition with a profound history in Ethiopia. Its faithful, like members of every religious community, have an inalienable right to worship freely, preserve their heritage, raise their children without fear, and live as equal citizens.
No government should be above accountability. No armed group should be permitted to target civilians with impunity. No religious community should be forced to choose between abandoning its faith and risking its life.
We recognize that these allegations must be established through credible and impartial investigation. But the need for verification must never become an excuse for inaction. The appropriate response to serious allegations is to investigate, protect those at risk, preserve evidence, and pursue justice—not to ignore the suffering of those who may be in danger.
We call on the international community to act now, before more innocent lives are lost.
Let the United States Congress hear the voices of the people of Arsi. Let the European Parliament demand answers. Let international human rights organizations investigate. Let churches throughout the world stand in solidarity with those who fear persecution. Let the Ethiopian government be pressed to fulfill its responsibility to protect every citizen and to ensure that allegations of atrocities are investigated impartially.
The people of Arsi deserve more than expressions of sympathy. They deserve protection, truth, accountability, and justice.
Do not let religious freedom become an empty promise. Do not let the victims of Arsi disappear into silence. Do not wait until another community has been devastated before asking what could have been done.
We ask you to stand with the innocent, investigate the allegations, protect the vulnerable, and help ensure that those responsible for any proven crimes are held accountable under the law.
The time for meaningful action is now.
With urgency, sorrow, and an unwavering commitment to human dignity and justice,
Concerned Advocates for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in Arsi, Ethiopia
Human Rights. Religious Freedom. Civilian Protection. Justice and Accountability.
የተዋሕዶ ቤተሰቦች በመላው ዓለም
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