More than 60 people have been killed and 20 homes burned down in a series of attacks targeting Christians in Ethiopia’s Oromia region.

This was reported by the Nova news agency.

Condemning the violence, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said that attacks against Christians had become increasingly frequent in recent months and that “such acts undermine the country’s values, including mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.”

In a statement posted on Facebook, the Orthodox Church said it had repeatedly raised concerns about the deteriorating security situation with authorities at various levels, but that “no solution has yet been found.” The regional government said it would take action against those responsible.

A local official attributed the attacks to a newly formed rebel coalition known as the “Alliance for Survival,” which includes the Oromo Liberation Army. The government had previously accused the group of carrying out attacks, while Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that violence against civilians and religious institutions was part of a plan to destabilize the country.

In a report published in July last year, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council said that 458 people had been killed in attacks in the area over the preceding four years. According to the report, armed groups had repeatedly targeted local communities, particularly followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, in what it described as religiously motivated attacks.

As LF previously reported, according to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), millions of Christians have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict, extremism and religiously motivated violence, threatening the future of long-established Christian communities.