Ethiopia: Firearm attack in western Ethiopia leaves 12 dead

At least 12 people were killed on Monday, October 12 by unidentified gunmen in the Benishangul-Gumuz regional state in the western part of the country. A new drama since several massacres with sometimes ethnic overtones have bloodied this area in recent months.
Local authorities insisted that the murder had no ethnic roots. However, the versions diverge. Melese Beyene, spokeswoman for the regional state, speaks of an “act of revenge after the murder of the brother of an official. Gashu Dugaz, head of the peace and security office, speaks of “reprisals launched by the family of an individual whose weapons had been stolen. In any case, the authorities speak of several arrests …
Security forces have been deployed in this region where the presence of soldiers is already significant. Benishangul-Gumuz is located on the border with Sudan. It is also there that Ethiopia is building its controversial Renaissance Dam, over which airspace has been closed.
The opposition, particularly on behalf of the Amhara people, contested the official version, assuring that it was an ethnic massacre. The deputy prime minister, Demeke Mekonnen, himself of the Amhara ethnic group, has even asked the inhabitants of the area to arm themselves to defend themselves.
This region has been affected by several bloodbaths in recent months. At the origin of tensions, experts often cite conflicts over land. Since the late 2000s, the government has identified Benishangul-Gumuz as a priority region for agricultural development. Hundreds of thousands of hectares had been transferred to investors who did not take into account the traditional division of land. Many areas were subletted, with residents evicted, fueling feelings of injustice and a spirit of revenge.