Ethiomonitor -Addis Ababa
November 11, 2025
The Ethiopian Inter-Religious Council has announced that preliminary findings from its recent fact-finding mission revealed that the attacks in several areas of the Arsi Zone in the Oromo Regional State were not motivated by religious or ethnic factors.
The Council established a multi-stakeholder committee to investigate the situation in the districts of Guna, Merti, Sherka, and Holonqo Wabi. Deployed on November 4, 2025, the committee gathered testimonies, conducted site visits, and assessed community conditions over five days.
The initial findings, released on November 10, 2025, confirmed incidents of killings, abductions, and property damage. Notably, the report indicated that victims were not restricted to any specific religious or ethnic group and that the perpetrators acted without religious or ethnic distinction.
The investigation identified the attacking groups as “armed entities operating under various self-assigned labels,” whose identities remain unconfirmed. These groups reportedly retreat to forested areas when government forces respond.
The Council urged the government to enhance civilian protections and committed to continuing its inquiry, promising a comprehensive final report to relevant authorities. Prior reports had highlighted civilian casualties, leading to widespread condemnation and calls for governmental action to ensure citizen safety.
