Gun attack on leaves 15 dead



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An attack by unidentified gunmen in Ethiopia’s western Benishangul-Gumuz region on Friday left at least 15 people dead, including four women, in the third such raid this month, according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.

“Civilians are being subjected to repeated attacks with utter cruelty in Benishangul-Gumuz,” Daniel Bekele, the chief commissioner, said in an emailed statement. “Federal and regional authorities must take the necessary steps to enforce the rule of law and hold perpetrators to account.”

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces deployed to parts of the region on September 24 to regain control after attacks earlier this month left 140 dead and thousands displaced. The previous two raids were carried out by militias that included disgruntled former government officials, Mohammed Tessema, director of the Ethiopian army’s Indoctrination Division, said last week.

Ethiopia has more than 1.8 million internally displaced persons, of which 1.2 million are due to conflict, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018, unrest and conflict have erupted in many parts of the country. The latest attacks in Benishangul-Gumuz come after deadly protests in June, following the assassination of prominent musician Hachalu Hundessa, which killed about 200 people.

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