The state backed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) disclosed on Thursday evening an attack in western Ethiopia has left at least eight people dead.
“An attack on residents of Gilgil-Beles city in Metekel zone of Benishangul-Gumuz region on July 7 killed eight people including three local militiamen and injured 16 other civilians,” the EHRC disclosed in a press statement sent to Mereja.com.
The EHRC statement said local residents and officials have disclosed to it it the attackers were members of an ex-rebel group, the Gumuz Peoples Democratic Movement (GPDM) and that non-Gumuz ethnic groups were targeted in the attack.
The EHRC information stated, members of the GPDM who are currently living in a nearby disarmament camp carried out the attack in part due to complaints that main points of a peace agreement reached with the government hasn’t been implemented so far.
The EHRC statement further said relative calm has returned to Gilgil-Beles district currently with the deployment of Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) personnel to the affected area.
