ANU PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Date: 05.11.2025
Issued by: Agaezi National Union (ANU) – Office of Human Rights and Interfaith Affairs
Website: www.anu-party.org
Contact: info@anu-party.org
ANU Condemns Targeted Massacres of Geezawit Ethiopia Habesha Agaezi Christians in Arsi, Oromia Region!!
The Agaezi National Union (ANU) strongly condemns the continuing massacres and persecution of Habesha Agaezi Ethiopian Christian civilians, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in the Arsi Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia. Recent attacks have resulted in the deaths of dozens of innocent believers, with reports indicating a growing pattern of identity- and faith-based violence in the region. Habesha Agaezi Ethiopian Christian civilians ethnically Amhara, Tigray, Gurage, Harar, Gamo, Zey, Argoba etc are being targeted, with the purpose of “Habesha Agaezi Abyssinians out of Oromia”, “Ethiopians out of Oromia” mission of extremist forces in Oromia organized by Jawar Mohammed and his allies.
Documented Incidents
According to multiple independent reports (Addis Standard, APA News, and Orthodox Christian Public Affairs sources):
- In October 2025, more than 25 Orthodox Christians were killed by unidentified armed men in the East Arsi Zone.
- In November 2023, at least 36 worshippers were massacred in Shirka district, Arsi Zone.
- Over the past year, the East Arsi Diocese recorded 271 Orthodox Christians killed across Sherka, Deju, and Gure Debino areas, with nearly 500 households displaced.
- In August 2024, six civilians, including a priest, were murdered in Aseko district in an attack reportedly carried out by armed groups.
- In September 2025, two more Orthodox Christians were killed in Robe district, East Arsi.
These incidents demonstrate a pattern of systematic targeting of Habesha Agaezi Christian communities and clergy in areas with long-standing inter-communal tension. Ethiopia has long been noted for a relatively stable coexistence between Christians and Muslims; as more exclusivist ideologies of Wahhabi spread, this may strain relationships. For example, in Bale district (Oromia) around the Sheikh Hussein shrine, Wahhabi activists reportedly destroyed more than 30 Sufi shrines in a few years. The Ethiopian government has expressed that intolerant teachings of Wahhabism pose a threat to the country’s religious balance (Christian‐Muslim harmony) and security. he flow of foreign funding and ideological exports from Gulf states (Saudi Arabia) into Ethiopian Muslim communities has been highlighted as influencing this shift. Because many Ethiopian Muslims have grown up in traditions of co-existence with Christians and in pluralist regional contexts, the arrival of stricter, more exclusivist ideologies has disrupted local norms and relations. A missionary orientation, some materials suggest activism in proselytising or mobilising (for example, one source says Wahhabi-leaning groups teach that all Muslims have a “responsibility to Islamise” Ethiopia, with a tendency among some groups to question even the legitimacy of the “indigenous” Muslim tradition in Ethiopia (Sufi orders) and to challenge or confront traditional authorities such as a leadership change in the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council (EIASC or “Majlis”), and in the Oromia region/Bale area, Wahhabi activists reportedly destroyed Sufi shrines in the early years.
ANU’s Position
The ANU denounces these atrocities as crimes against humanity and calls for:
- An independent, transparent investigation under international supervision to identify perpetrators and sponsors of these massacres.
- Immediate protection of civilians and places of worship by both regional and federal authorities.
- Accountability mechanisms within Ethiopia’s justice system to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished.
- Regional and international solidarity with Christian and minority communities facing persecution across Oromia.
A Call for Unity and Justice
ANU stands in full solidarity with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the families of the victims. These attacks not only violate fundamental human rights but also threaten the moral and spiritual fabric of the Habesha Agaezi Ethiopian and Eritrean communities.
We urge all Ethiopians — regardless of faith or ethnicity — to stand united against extremism, sectarian hatred, and the forces seeking to divide our people.
About ANU: The Agaezi National Union (ANU) is a movement committed to defending the dignity, rights, and survival of the Habesha Agaezi peoples of Ethiopia and Eritrea through peaceful advocacy, democratic transformation, and unity among all oppressed communities.
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