Ethiopia: the death toll of the massacre committed in the west of the country increases to 207 dead

Ethiopian soldiers on the road leading to the border with Tigray.

(Illustrative photo) AP

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In Ethiopia, the death toll of the attack carried out on Wednesday 23 December by armed men in the Benishangul-Gumuz region in the west of the country rose to 207, according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.

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Humanitarian workers had so far reported around 100 dead, victims of

the attack in the Benishangul-Gumuz region

, populated mainly by Oromo and Amhara communities.

Strangers disembarked at dawn in the village of Bekoji where they burned houses and shot dead residents.

More than 48 hours after this deadly attack, humanitarians continue a long work of identifying the victims.

According to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, the majority of those killed are men (133).

This independent body, attached to the government, speaks of a total of 207 deaths.

According to a Red Cross count, there are 222.

In such a context, these organizations are launching an appeal for urgent humanitarian aid.

Indeed, according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, this attack prompted many residents to flee their villages.

Nearly 10,000 people flock to the town of Bulen, the main town in this area.

But the city is overwhelmed, as it already hosts thousands of displaced people.

For their part, the authorities are continuing their security operation.

The Ethiopian army is still deployed in the region and claims to have neutralized 42 people, without giving more details on their identity, nor on the circumstances of this intervention.

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  • Ethiopia