Severe Persecution for Christians in Western Ethiopia

Eyewitness reports from VOMC sources in Ethiopia provide evidence of the severe but under-reported persecution facing Christians in the Muslim regions of Bambesi and Tongo near the Sudanese border. This remote area is without modern means of communication requiring VOMC personnel to travel by foot for several days to collect these reports.

On July 20, hundreds of Muslims occupied the compound of a Christian woman and forcibly erected a mosque on her property. The building was erected as part of a plan to build a mosque every two kilometres.

In the last three months, the harvest of more than thirty-five Christians has been completely destroyed, creating severe hardship for the families of these subsistence farmers. VOMC was able to provide some funds for their needs.

On June 28, the home of an evangelist named Tareku from the village of Begge was destroyed and the building where almost seventy new believers gathered for worship was also burned down.

On July 5, a convert from Islam named Shek Hamed Adem was severely beaten and hanged on a cross. While beating him, the crowd told him, "Jesus was hanged on a cross and beaten and as his follower you also deserve the same punishment."

These are only a few of the incidents compiled by VOMC staff who met with many of the local believers last week. They report that the reason for the persecution is because the church is growing. More details on these and other incidents will be forthcoming in the next few days.

Pray that the Christian woman who has experienced the loss of her home will experience the joy of knowing that Christ is preparing a far greater inheritance for her (Hebrews 10:32-39). Ask God to enable Tareku and his congregation to hold fast to the hope they have in Christ as they encourage one another toward love and good works in their regular meetings, with or without adequate buildings to do so (Hebrews 10:23-25). Pray that Shek will rest in the love of his Heavenly Father, finding peace in the fact that as he has suffered with Christ so he will be glorified with Him (Romans 8:15-17).

For more information on the persecution of Christians in Ethiopia, click here. When possible, VOMC attempts to help in practical ways to alleviate the suffering of believers who have lost everything because of their faith in Christ. To assist in these efforts, gifts can be made online to our Relief and Development fund.

  • Current Ministry Project

    VOMC has partnered with a ministry to strengthen the witness of the local church by equipping evangelists with the means to build sustainability through the development of a small business in a tentmaker project.

    Project Fund: Relief and Development

  • Country Information

    Population
    116,462,712 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Oromo (35.8), Amara (24.1), Somali (7.2), Tigray (5.7), Sidama (4.1), Guragie (2.6), Welaita (2.3), Afar (2.2), Silte (1.3), Kefficho (1,2), Other (13.5) (2022 est.)

    Religion (%)
    Ethiopian Orthodox (43.8), Muslim (31.3), Protestant (22.8), Catholic (0.7), traditional (0.6), other (0.8)

    Leader
    President Taye Atske Selassie (2024)

    Government type
    Federal parliamentary republic

    Legal system
    Civil law system

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Ethiopia

    Ask the Lord to direct Ethiopia's governmental leaders as they continue to work toward solutions to the ongoing religious tensions in the country. While this is taking place, pray that His people will not become weary in doing what is right. Rather, may they be further strengthened and encouraged to boldly proclaim the Gospel, overcoming hatred with the powerful love of Christ.

Ethiopia News

  • Attacked Church Seeks New Meeting Location
    The bare remains of a church building.
    The remains of the church building.
    Photo: VOMC Ministry Partner

    On July 29th, a small congregation in Ethiopia was attacked by hostile community members who were opposed to the church's presence in their village. During the incident, the attackers dismantled the simple shelter where the Christians had been meeting, and then they proceeded to steal its structural materials. (For more details about this incident, see this report.)

  • Church Attack Forces Pastor and Wife into Hiding
    The bare remains of a church building.
    The remains of the church building.
    Photo: VOMC Ministry Partner

    The Voice of the Martyrs Canada has partnered with Steadfast Global to provide small loans to pastors and other Christian workers so they can establish sustainable businesses in support of their ministries. Among the recipients of this project is Pastor Paul, along with his wife Mary. (Their given names were changed for the purpose of this report due to security concerns.) This couple has been faithfully ministering within a Muslim-majority community in southern Ethiopia. As part of their ministry outreach, Pastor Paul and Mary leased space in a compound where they set up a shelter composed of poles and zinc sheets so they could hold worship services with local converts.

  • Evangelist Martyred for Sharing the Gospel
    Ibrahim Mohammed's face is pixelated to obscure his identity. He is standing in front of his home.
    Ibrahim Mohammed
    Photo: Steadfast Global

    Ibrahim Mohammed became a follower of Jesus in 2021 and immediately began sharing the "Good News" of the Gospel with others in his predominantly Muslim community. Within the span of one year, he led 80 people to Christ in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Since then, the passionate evangelist has devoted himself to discipling these new believers. As a result of his Christian witness, Ibrahim began receiving death threats from local Islamic militants.

  • Christians Targeted in Violent Outbreaks
    Property damage from a fire - Photo: Steadfast Global www.steadfastglobal.org
    Fire damage in Shashamene.
    Photo: Steadfast Global

    The Oromia region of Ethiopia is in the midst of turmoil as separatists spread dissent against the government. The murder of prominent singer Hachalu Hundessa on June 29th set off the civil unrest, leaving hundreds dead.

    During the third week of August, a violent outbreak took place in a predominantly Muslim village of Senbete Sinkile. In the attack, which was perpetrated by a youth wing of separatists known as the Qeerroo, it appears that Christians in particular were targeted. While there were no fatalities resulting from this attack, a number of people were injured and damages were done to a church and the homes of various Christians in the village. A number of victims were forced to flee, despite flood conditions, seeking refuge in the mainly Christian city of Awassa.