At least 34 Orthodox Christians were killed by gunmen in the Ethiopian village of Endato on November 5, according to Mahibere Kidusan Television, a channel of an Ethiopian Orthodox lay association, as cited in reporting collected by Borkena. The bodies were gathered at Endato Debre Mitmaq St. Mary Church, the reports said.
What happened in Endato
The attack began around 11 a.m. in Endato Kebele, Robe Woreda, East Arsi Zone, per Borkena. TRT Afrika, citing Ethiopian outlet Meseret Media, reported that security personnel attempting to restore order were also caught in the violence and that businesses and private homes were burned. Residents told QNC News they buried at least 35 people; one witness described 36 Orthodox Christians and three Muslims buried separately and said another wounded man died en route to treatment, bringing that witness’s count to 40. No group has claimed responsibility, and residents interviewed could not identify the gunmen.
A pattern of attacks on Orthodox communities
In an October 26 statement, the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church said gunmen killed 14 people at Gora Silingo in Merti Woreda on October 20, and 46 people in the villages of Tereta, Chole, and Birbo in Shirka Woreda on October 24. The Synod reported 20 homes burned and more than 20 seriously wounded, warning that killings and displacement of Orthodox faithful in Arsi had continued and worsened. Using the Synod’s figures and the Endato minimum count, TRT Afrika reported at least 94 Orthodox worshippers killed in less than three weeks.
Who is blamed for the October slaughter?
On November 3, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC)—a federal body established by parliament—said its investigation confirmed 48 deaths in the October 24 Shirka attack, including 23 kebele-level security personnel, and blamed the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which the government also calls OLF-Shane. The OLA has denied targeting civilians in the past. In a March statement on earlier Arsi killings, the OLA blamed what it called mercenaries for targeting Orthodox civilians to inflame religious and ethnic tensions. After the October attacks, an Ethiopian official accused the rebels and their allies of trying to provoke ethnic and religious conflict to divert attention from military losses in northern Ethiopia; the Associated Press reported that no evidence was provided for that accusation. The Oromia regional government said on November 2 that 73 people were detained in connection with the October attacks.
Religion’s role—and the data
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) told AFP the October 24 attack appeared religiously motivated and aimed at Orthodox Christians, citing the reported looting of an Orthodox church. ACLED data show about one-third of 193 incidents targeting civilians in Arsi since February 2023 involved Orthodox Christian residents. The World Council of Churches has said the victims include both Amhara and Oromo Orthodox Christians. Arsi Zone is predominantly Muslim. Nationally, Orthodox Christians constitute about 44 percent of Ethiopia’s population.
Washington’s split—and the timing
Control of Congress is set to shift to Democrats after November 3. In a November 3, 2025 joint statement, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York and Rep. Sara Jacobs of California criticized President Trump’s threatened intervention in Nigeria and argued that the violence there was rooted in land competition rather than religion alone. Jacobs also said at a House hearing that Nigeria’s bloodshed has multiple causes and is not solely the persecution of Christians. Separately, Trump wrote on October 31, 2025 that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and announced a redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. In December 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions tied to violations of religious freedom. The White House’s 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy stated the United States would not permit terrorist groups in Africa to massacre Christians with impunity, The National reported. At the UN General Assembly on September 22, 2026, Trump said Christians face persecution worldwide, and at a Faith & Freedom Coalition event he said U.S. strikes in Nigeria “largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations.”
Aftermath and calls for security
Borkena reported that on October 29 the House Foreign Affairs Committee condemned recurring targeted massacres of Orthodox Christians in Arsi and demanded accountability. On November 5—the day of the Endato attack—U.S. Ambassador Ervin Massinga met EHRC Chief Commissioner Berhanu Adello and, according to the commission, expressed U.S. support for the EHRC’s detailed, transparent reporting on the Arsi killings. Federal special forces entered Endato after the attack, but residents told QNC News the deployment had not restored confidence and that some families were considering leaving permanently. Locals have called for a permanent federal security presence.
Note: Responsibility for the November 5 Endato attack remains unclaimed, and casualty counts vary across outlets. All figures and attributions above reflect the sources cited.
