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A total of 222 people were killed in an attack on a village in the Benisangul-Gumuz region of western Ethiopia, a Red Cross volunteer said today.
“Yesterday we buried 207 of the victims and another 15 of the perpetrators,” volunteer Melesse Mesfin told Reuters.
The attacker struck shortly after noon in the village of Bekoji, Boulen county, and the Ethiopian State Human Rights Commission initially reported more than 100 deaths.
At least 40,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Bulen County, according to spokesman Kasahun Antisu.
Wednesday’s attack by unknown gunmen was the latest in a series of deadly attacks in an area plagued by ethnic violence. Prime Minister Abi Ahmed called it a “massacre” and ordered the deployment of federal troops in the area. The army killed 42 gunmen who were allegedly among those who attacked the village.
