In Ethiopia, the federal army is deploying to the Benishangul-Gumuz region in the west following a large-scale ethnic massacre. According to human rights defenders, at least one hundred people were killed on Wednesday morning, December 23, in the village of Bekoji.
With our regional correspondent, Sebastien nemeth
This is the last carnage dated in this region affected by tribal violence. According to witnesses, unidentified armed men arrived at the village before dawn, around 5 in the morning. They are said to have burned down houses, shot and stabbed the residents. According to Amnesty International, which could talk to five survivors, the attackers belonged to the Gumuz community, the majority in the region. The victims would be Amhara, Oromo and Shinasha. Dozens of people are still missing and tolls will surely increase, the organization says.
This massacre is a piece for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. He was in the region on Tuesday, December 22, to demand peace after several ethnic attacks in recent months.
An “inhuman act”
This Thursday, Abiy Ahmed highlighted his families. “Our efforts to solve the problem have not yielded the expected results,” the prime minister acknowledged. He explained it the federal forces had deployed in the area after what he described as an “inhuman act”.
The army also announced this Thursday, December 24, that it had taken up arms and killed 42 people in the area, described as “anti-peace elements” linked to the massacre, without giving further details.
Finally, five local officials were arrested. Some still hold office, such as the regional labor minister. Others had held leading local positions, including in the welfare party, the prime minister’s movement.
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