Published 03:31 IST, December 26th 2020
Ethiopian military kills over 40, detains 5 for Benishangul-Gumuz massacre: Reports
While some of the detained were supposedly "involved in the security crisis", others had been arrested as they allegedly failed to fulfil their responsibilities
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Ethiopian military has killed more than 40 people suspected to be linked to the Benishangul-Gumuz massacre, as per state media reports. In addition, at least five present and former government officials were also detailed over the security crisis in the region. On December 23, armed attackers killed over 100 people and torched their homes in the state of Benishangul-Gumuz.
Weapons seized
In their latest operation, the Ethiopian army also seized heavy amounts of weapons including bows and arrows. As of now, the names of the 42 people killed in the attack have not been released; however, state media reported that amongst those arrested is currently serving deputy minister. While some of the detained were supposedly "involved in the security crisis", others had been arrested as they allegedly failed to fulfil their responsibilities appropriately.
The Benishangul-Gumuz massacre occurred a day after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the region and spoke about the need to bring those responsible for recent attacks to justice. As per Amhara Mass Media Agency, the attack took place at dawn on December 23. In the aftermath, the ruling party in the region, the Benishangul-Gumuz Prosperity Party, said that "armed bandits" had committed a "horrifying crime".
Ethiopia, which is already battling a political crisis, has seen increased violence in recent years. The landlocked African nation has seen the highest number of internally displaced people with over 1.8 million nations in 2018 alone.
In the latest development, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi has warned that the conflict in Ethiopia is far from over despite the federal forces of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed calling an end to their military offensive. Grandi said that he is very concerned about the fate of nearly 1,00,000 Eritrean refugees, who live in refugee camps near the Tigray-Eritrea border. There have been several reports that Eritrean refugees were being abducted by Eritrean armed forces working at the behest of the Ethiopian army.
03:31 IST, December 26th 2020