ADDIS ABABA, Dec 25, 2020 (BSS/XINHUA) – The Ethiopian Defense Forces
killed some 42 “anti-peace elements” as part of the crackdown on perpetrators
of the latest “gruesome” attack that killed at least 100 civilians in
Ethiopia’s western Benishangul-Gumuz regional state, local government
officials said on Thursday.
On late Wednesday, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), a federal
rights group established by the Ethiopian parliament, said in a statement
that more than 100 people had been killed in a recent armed attack in Bekuji,
Metekel zone of Benishangul-Gumuz region at around 10:00 pm local time on
Tuesday.
According to the EHRC, the attack was carried out by armed men who set fire
and shot at residents while they were asleep. The incident revealed “the
ever-deteriorating human rights protection in the region,” the commission
warned, adding that “attacks have intensified in appearance and scale
recently.”
On Thursday, the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional Government Communication Office
disclosed that some 42 “anti-peace elements” who are said to be behind the
attack on civilians have been “destroyed”, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting
Corporate (FBC) reported.
As part of the crackdown on perpetrators of the attack, a large number of
weapons and arrows used by anti-peace forces were seized by the Ethiopian
army, it was noted.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also on early Thursday revealed
that the government has deployed an “integrated necessary force” in the area,
with an aim to address the root causes of the problem.
“I am deeply saddened by the inhumane treatment of our people. Our efforts
to solve the problem in various ways have not yielded the desired results,”
Ahmed said via a twitter post.
The Ethiopian premier also urged the general public “to work as hard as we
can to achieve the desired results.”
Meanwhile, state-affiliated FBC also reported the arrest of five senior
regional and federal Ethiopian government officials in connection with the
killing of innocent civilians in the region.
The EHRC also on Thursday revealed that it has obtained testimonies of
houses being burned in Benishangul-Gumuz’s Chelenko and Doshe districts.
It also noted that the attacks followed the departure of National Defense
Forces contingents from the area on Tuesday, which was previously positioned
in the surroundings to restore calm and allegedly accompany one federal and
two regional officials on their official mission.
While previous incidents involved assailants staging their attacks from
“forests and bushes,” victims of the incident in their testimonies to the
EHRC stressed they were able to recognize those involved in the attack “by
name and sight.”
The EHRC, which has been repeatedly calling for stronger collaboration
between the federal and regional governments and a greater focus on the
recurring nature of the attacks, stressed that “the attacks have since only
increased in scope and frequency.”
“Authorities should make provision of medical and humanitarian assistance
to victims and those displaced by the December 23 attacks a priority and
promptly start investigations to bring the perpetrators to account,” it
underscored.
It also called for an immediate strengthening of the security structure and
forces in the region in a manner that guarantees the peace and security of
residents.