Most of the violence fell along ethnic Amahara-Oromo lines, but religion may have played a more central role due to an intricate, localized understanding of ethnicity: The southeast Oromo communitys ethnic identity markers usually combine the religion of Islam and the Afan-Oromo language.
Vurugu zaidi zilikuwa katika ukanda wenye mchanganyiko wa watu wa Amahara-Oromo na dini inaweza ikawa imecheza nafasi kubwa kwa sababu ya uelewa uliopo kwamba: jamii ya Waoromo wa Kusini Mashariki inatambulishwa kwa mchangayiko wa dini ya Kiislamu na watumiaji wa lugha ya Afan-Oromo.