Residents of Nono district in West Shewa Zone, Oromia, say more than 25 people — and in some counts as many as 29 — were killed in a night raid on 19 October 2025 that locals have attributed to fighters linked to the Fano movement.
According to witnesses, the assault unfolded in Allo Dinki village shortly after 8:00 p.m. Attackers who, residents say, crossed from Abishgee district in the neighbouring Gurage Zone moved house-to-house. Survivors described the violence as indiscriminate: men, elders, children and pregnant women were among those killed, and some families were reportedly wiped out entirely. Local sources say the attackers used a combination of bladed weapons and firearms and fled back toward Abishgee after the killings.
One resident, using the name Ibsa Jamal for safety, told Addis Standard the assailants “moved from house to house,” while another anonymous witness said 29 people had been buried and six wounded were transferred for treatment; two women were reported missing. Prominent community figures were among the dead, including farmer and local leader Shambal Mulu, who was reportedly killed with several members of his family.
Burials took place on 20 October at Muslim cemeteries and at the Orthodox Church in Halo Dinki village. Residents said local security forces were unable to stop the attack, citing the heavy arms and coordination of the assailants. Federal security forces were later deployed and, residents say, have since restored calm to the area.
Attempts by Addis Standard to obtain official comment from Nono district, West Shewa Zone and Central Ethiopia regional authorities were unsuccessful.
The incident follows earlier violence in Nono. In July this year, residents reported 16 civilians — including a six-month-old infant — killed in Kondala locality. After that attack, Fano denied responsibility for the Kondala killings but acknowledged its fighters operate in parts of Oromia, including West Shewa. Nono has seen deadly episodes in past years as well: an attack on a wedding in June 2024 that left at least 24 people dead drew condemnation from the Oromo Liberation Front, and local authorities at the time described the assault as carried out by forces they identified as “Amhara insurgents.”
Residents and local officials say chronic insecurity, cross-zone movement of armed groups and limited local capacity to deter heavily armed attackers are persistent problems in the district.
