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Addis Ababa, December 24, 2020 – In the Metekel area of the Benishangul-Gumuz region, an armed group shot residents and set their houses on fire while they slept, killing at least 100 people. Bulen Woreda’s attack on Bekuji Kebele is a sign of a severe decline in human rights protection in the region, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (ECHR) said.
The EHRC verified the attacks by speaking to victims and other sources in Bekuji Kebele, an area where ethnic Amharas, Oromos and Shinashas live, and 90 kilometers from the capital of Bulen Woreda, also called Bulen. The EHRC learned that Bekuji Kebele does not have a local police or security force.
The commission’s team visited 36 victims who were receiving treatment at Bulen Hospital, most for gunshot wounds and others for injuries sustained by arrow attacks. In addition to loss of life, physical injury and property loss, crops and crops were burned and destroyed. One witness described seeing at least 18 piles of crops on fire.
In related incidents, the commission has also obtained testimonies from burned houses in Chelenko and Doshe Woredas in Benishangul-Gumuz. In Dibate Woreda’s Donben Kebele, residents have been fleeing their homes since noon on December 23, 2020, fearing the spread of attacks.
The ECHR also understands that the attacks occurred after the departure from the area on December 22, 2020 of contingents of the National Defense Forces previously positioned in the vicinity to restore calm and allegedly “accompany a federal and two regional officials.” on his official mission. According to the survivors, the attacks began in the early morning, at 4:00 am, and lasted until noon.
Survivors also believe that the majority of the victims were ethnic Shinasha. While previous incidents involved assailants staging their attacks from “woods and bushes,” victims told the EHRC that they were able to recognize those involved in the December 23 attack “by name and by sight.”
The EHRC has repeatedly called for greater collaboration between the federal and regional governments and a greater focus on the recurring nature of the attacks. Unfortunately, the attacks since then have only increased in scope and frequency.
The authorities must prioritize the provision of medical and humanitarian assistance to victims and those displaced by the December 23 attacks and immediately begin investigations to hold the perpetrators accountable, both for the lack of protection and for the aggravation of The attacks. The EHRC also calls for an immediate strengthening of the security structure and forces in the region in a way that ensures the peace and security of the residents. EHRC Dispatch News
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