Twelve people were killed in an attack in the area in October. (Representative)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:
Gunmen killed at least 34 people in a “gruesome” attack on a passenger bus in western Ethiopia, a part of the country that has recently witnessed a series of deadly attacks on civilians, the national human rights body said on Sunday.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said in a statement that “the estimated number of victims, currently at 34, is likely to increase” following the attack which took place on Saturday evening in the region of Benishangul-Gumuz.
A spokesperson for the commission, an independent government body, confirmed that the victims were all dead.
The EHRC statement said the bus attack occurred in the administrative area of the debate, and that “there are reports of similar attacks” in three other areas, as well as ” people who fled to seek shelter “.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government has provided little information on recent violence in Benishangul-Gumuz, particularly in the Metekel area, where Debate is located.
Twelve people were killed in an attack in the area in October, while 15 died in a similar attack in late September.
Speaking to lawmakers in October, Abiy said the fighters responsible for the killings were receiving training and shelter in neighboring Sudan and help from Khartoum was needed to stabilize the region.
There is no known link between the violence in Benishangul-Gumuz and military operations in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, which left hundreds dead and sent over 20,000 people fleeing the border to Sudan.
Opposition politicians described the violence in Benishangul-Gumuz as ethnically motivated.
Specifically, they say there is a targeted campaign by ethnic Gumuz militias against the Amhara and Agew ethnic groups living in Metekel.
“The relentless pace of attacks on civilians in Benishangul-Gumuz calls for greater vigilance and more coordinated action between regional and federal security forces,” EHRC Chief Commissioner Daniel Bekele said on Sunday.
“We urge federal and regional security and judicial authorities to work together, and in consultation with the local community, to redefine a regional security strategy that can put a definitive end to these attacks.”
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
