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The Ethiopian army on Thursday killed at least 42 people allegedly responsible for the massacre of more than 100 civilians the previous day, according to local officials.
Firearms were also seized by federal troops during a military operation in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region.
“The Ethiopian Defense Force has destroyed 42 anti-peace forces that attacked civilians yesterday” in the Metekel area of Benishangul-Gumuz, the regional government said in a statement Thursday.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Thursday that he would send more troops to secure the border region with Sudan.
“The massacre in the Benishangul-Gumuz region is very tragic,” Abiy wrote on Twitter, acknowledging that the government’s efforts to solve the problem “have not produced results.”
The government sent a “joint force” to the region “to solve the problem,” Abiy said.
Ethnic conflict
The human rights group Amnesty International confirmed the killings on Wednesday and said the death toll was likely to rise in Benishangul-Gumuz. He said the attack was reportedly ethnically motivated.
Ethiopia has been grappling with outbreaks of violence since Abiy came to power in 2018. The Nobel Peace Prize has accelerated democratic reforms in the African country, causing the state to loosen its grip on regional rivalries.
Conflicts over land and resources in Benishangul-Gumuz have sparked ethnic violence in the troubled region.
Amnesty International said on Wednesday that the latest violence “underscores the urgent need for the Ethiopian government to act to stop violence against ethnic minorities.”
Government accused of violence
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (ECHR), an independent but government-affiliated body that first reported on the massacre, said no security or police forces were seen in the area when the attack occurred.
“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,” it said in a statement Thursday.
“Unfortunately, the attacks have only increased in scope and frequency.”
In November, a bus attack in the Metekel area killed 34 people. Twelve civilians were killed in a separate attack in the same area in October and 15 were killed in a similar attack in late September.
By DEUTSCHE WELLE
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