The Ethiopian Armed Forces killed at least 42 people who were involved in yesterday’s massacre in Benishangul-Gumuz, an area in western Ethiopia. This was reported by Reuters news agency on Fana TV, a channel with links to the Ethiopian government.
Soldiers are said to have seized arrows, bows and other weapons from the dead. Nothing is known yet about their background nor the role they played yesterday. But the attack in Benishangul-Gumuz appears to be the result of one of the many ethnic conflicts raging in Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abe is still visiting the region on Tuesday. He said those responsible for the recent attacks in Benishangul-Qumuz should be prosecuted and punished. In November, 34 bus passengers were killed in the area.
The Federal Army is under pressure
It is unclear how much control the armed forces have over events. Part of the federal forces is fighting in the northern Tigray region. This means that there are fewer soldiers available elsewhere to quell conflicts.
My father, who received the Nobel Peace Prize last year, says he wants to unite the country. But the bloody violence in Ethiopia has resulted in an estimated hundreds of thousands of refugees.
Witnesses in Benishangul-Gumuz said that the attackers opened fire yesterday morning. A farmer said that he and his family fled abroad and tried to escape. His wife and five of his children were killed. Four other children managed to escape and are now missing.
After visiting the region, Abe tweeted that “the enemies want to divide Ethiopia along ethnic and religious lines. But this desire will not be fulfilled.”
