Ambush and reprisals in Ethiopia kill 64: rights physique
ADDIS ABABA – At least 53 folks have died in western Ethiopia after an unidentified armed group attacked a civilian convoy and its navy escort in an space stricken by ethnic violence, a rights physique stated on Sunday. appointed by the federal government.
The beforehand unreported assault occurred on March 2 in Metekel, Benishangul-Gumuz area, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission stated. Twenty troopers and three civilians have been killed within the ambush, whereas 30 assailants died within the day-long gunfight that adopted.
Eleven extra folks have been killed the subsequent day – together with one who was burned to loss of life – as safety forces rounded up suspects and carried out abstract executions, in keeping with the rights group.
The fee investigated the incident after video posted to social media on Friday confirmed armed males, some in navy uniforms, utilizing a keep on with push a person again onto a pile of burning our bodies after he tried to get away. escape. The authorities stated on Saturday it will take motion towards the perpetrators.
According to the fee, authorities troopers stopped a bus, introduced out eight ethnic Tigrayan civilians who had simply been launched from jail and accused them of orchestrating the assault.
Security officers arrested and beat the boys, then shot them and two native Gumuz males and burned their our bodies, the fee stated. Security officers informed the fee they discovered money and a satellite tv for pc telephone on the Tigray suspects.
Security forces found one other Tigrayan hidden in a automobile, tied him up and threw him on the stake, the fee stated, noting the presence of Ethiopian troopers and uniformed forces from the Amhara area and the area. nationalities and peoples of the South.
The rights physique didn’t specify which safety forces killed the civilians.
Spokespersons for the 2 areas have been unavailable for remark. A navy spokesman and a authorities spokesperson didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
The violence in Benishangul-Gumuz, dwelling to a number of ethnic teams, is separate from the battle in Tigray, a northern area that has been battling the central authorities for greater than 16 months.
The United Nations stated not less than 15,000 Tigrayan civilians had been arrested or detained underneath a state of emergency declared in November and lifted final month.
