Addis Globe, September 27, 2020.
The civilian killings in Benshangul-Gumuz in Benshangul-Gumuz regional state, Dengez locality in Dangur Woreda, prompted military counter-attack. In the counter-attack eight gunmen were killed. The gunmen, believed by the military authorities to be bandits, had massacred at least 150 civilian in the same region over three months.
In one incident, the bandits reportedly kidnapped local farmers and their families and took them to a school where they were executed. The attacks were apparently orchestrated by armed vigilantes from the Gumuz ethnic group targeting civilian people mainly of Amhara but also of Oromo and Agaw origin.
Brigadier General Negari Tolina, commander of the 22nd regiment under the west command of the Ethiopian National Defence said “the military launched a counter-attack after we received information about the civilian killings around 6:00 AM”.
The attackers had tried to escape but eight of them were killed in counter attacks. The commander said the army is conducting multiple military operations to defeat the gunmen who are believed to have armed with heavy weapons.
The military commander said they are in control of the situation with ongoing multiple operations against the gunmen.
In a press statement, Benishangul-Gumuz regional state communications affairs department, said a total of 371 people have been arrested for suspected involvement in recent deadly violence. The statement further said scores of illicit light firearms have been confiscated from the suspects.
The 371 individuals are suspected to have involved in deadly violence earlier this month that left scores of civilians dead in Guba and Bulen localities of Benishangul-Gumuz regional state.
Ethiopian officials have previously stated the repeated armed attacks have an ethnic focus with the main targets being ethnic Amharas.
Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State, located along the Ethiopia-Sudan border, hosts the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is under construction on the Blue Nile River.
