At least 60 Orthodox Christians killed in Oromia, Ethiopian church says

At least 60 Orthodox Christians were killed in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, the country's Orthodox Church said. The victims were targeted in recent attacks in the Arsi zone, a volatile area where armed groups have clashed with federal forces.

In the north, renewed fighting has effectively ended a peace agreement signed in November 2022 between the federal government and rebel forces in the Tigray region. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday that the conflict is pushing the local health system toward collapse.

Tedros stated that children were reportedly killed at the Jaari 2 displacement camp in the Amhara region. He said a newborn was among those killed. In the neighboring Tigray region, several people reportedly died while attempting to secure food in the town of Rama. The WHO chief did not provide total casualty figures or identify the perpetrators for these specific attacks.

Hospitals in the northern regions are short on health workers, medicines, and equipment. Ambulance services are limited, and insecurity is blocking the delivery of medical supplies, Tedros said. United Nations agencies are working to deliver additional aid to the area.

"Civilians must be protected. Health workers and humanitarian supplies must be allowed to reach those in need," Tedros wrote in a statement posted on X. He noted that drone attacks and civilian casualties are becoming frequent across Ethiopia. No government response addressing the reported attacks was immediately available.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed posted on social media that government leaders were undergoing military training at Hurso in the east of the country. He said the training would strengthen discipline and readiness. Photos of the session showed Ahmed and participants in khaki outfits performing group exercises.

The Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival, a coalition of seven opposition groups, said it approved plans to coordinate domestic and diaspora campaigns. The group, formed in September, aims to remove Ahmed's government. Its members include the Tigray People's Liberation Front, the Amhara Fano National Movement, and the Oromo Liberation Army. The alliance accused the ruling Prosperity Party of fueling conflict and poverty.