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NEW YORK/ADDIS ABABA – The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) has submitted an urgent appeal to the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention, warning of an escalating crisis and “systematic persecution” targeting Orthodox Christian communities and ethnic Amharas in Ethiopia.
The advocacy group’s submission highlights severe legal questions regarding mass atrocities under the UN Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
According to the ECLJ’s formal notice, a wave of coordinated attacks took place in the East Arsi Zone of the Oromia region between May 30 and June 1, 2026, coinciding with the country’s highly contested general elections. The rights group documented that at least 37 Orthodox Christians were methodically killed in their homes, on roads, or while attempting to flee the violence.
The appeal provides granular evidence and specific names of victims, detailing an incident in Sherka Wereda where two relatives were buried at the Gedo Kidist Mariyam Church on election day. Assailants reportedly looted their livestock and properties before leaving their bodies 10 kilometers away in an area known as Mitana Gado.
Furthermore, the ECLJ reported the systematic destruction of religious landmarks, noting that armed actors singled out Christian households and burned down three historical places of worship:
- The 101-year-old Teleta Saint Gabriel Church.
- The Kara Kuftena Church.
- The Medhane Alem Church.
The European legal center emphasizes that the recent atrocities in Oromia are not isolated incidents but rather part of a long-standing pattern of violence targeting non-Oromo populations. The petition connects these recent events to ongoing military campaigns, heavy weaponry usage, and drone strikes displacing thousands of civilians across the Amhara region.
The ECLJ maintains that historical grievances and unchecked hate speech have fostered a toxic environment where Orthodox Amharas are targeted both for their ethnic identity and religious affiliation. The center slammed the recurring inaction of local state security forces, who allegedly dismissed early warnings from vulnerable residents ahead of the East Arsi assaults.
In its communication to UN Special Adviser Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the ECLJ stated that the targeted nature of these executions meets thresholds that demand immediate international intervention and a fact-finding mission.
By bringing the case directly to the UN Office on Genocide Prevention, international legal observers aim to bypass deadlocked domestic justice mechanisms to address what they describe as “grave, state-tolerated atrocities” threatening regional stability in the Horn of Africa.
In summary, this urgent appeal by the European Centre for Law and Justice to the United Nations highlights that the attacks against innocent civilians, Orthodox Christians, and the Amhara people in Ethiopia have reached a critical level.
The documented massacres and burning of religious institutions presented by the center clearly demonstrate that the crisis has transcended domestic legal frameworks, raising serious international legal questions under the UN Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute.
