More than 100 people were killed in a massacre along ethnic lines in western Ethiopia, according to the country’s human rights commission.
Amhara Mass Media Agency, affiliated with the country’s Amhara region, cited in a separate report witnesses that the attack took place early Wednesday in the Metekel zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz region.
The attack came a day after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the region and spoke about the need to bring those responsible for the latest attacks to justice. Ethnic tensions are a major challenge as the Prime Minister seeks to promote national unity in a country with more than 80 ethnic groups.
Abandoned shoes belonging to Tigrayan refugees are scattered near the banks of the Tekeze River on the Sudan-Ethiopian border, after Ethiopian forces prevented people from crossing Sudan in Hamdayet, eastern Sudan, on 15 December.
(AP)
The attacks are separate from the deadly conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, where Ethiopian forces and allied regional forces began fighting Tigray’s regional forces in early November.
Some people in remote villages remained surrounded by threats Wednesday night with the total number of deaths above 200, claimed Belete Molla, leader of the National Movement of Amhara political party. He said he spoke by telephone with some residents.
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It was not immediately clear who the attackers were, although Belete claimed to be Gumuz militia members. The ruling party in the region, the Benishangul-Gumuz Prosperous Party, said in a statement that “armed bandits” had committed a “horrific crime.”
Amharas are the second most populous ethnic group in Ethiopia. Amharas in the region have been targeted repeatedly in recent weeks.
A November 1 rebel attack in the remote western Oromia region killed at least 54 people, according to Amnesty International.
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According to a security official, at least 14 civilians were killed in an attack in the Benishangul-Gumuz region in early October. It followed similar deadly attacks in September that also displaced over 300 people, leading to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission saying it was deeply troubled.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.