Ethiopia: Over 11,000 Displaced By Armed Violence in Oromia-Benishangul Border Areas - Humanitarian Agencies Warn of Escalating Tensions

7 June 2025
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — More than 11,000 people have been displaced in recent days due to armed violence in the border areas of Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz regions, according to the European Commission's Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and its partners.

In its latest situation report, DG ECHO stated that the displacement was triggered by armed conflict "fuelled by political and ethnic divisions," which it said is continuing to escalate along the regional border.

According to DG ECHO, an estimated 5,500 people were displaced from Harowata kebele, located in Sasiga district of the Oromia region. The agency noted that the affected civilians are "now sheltering in government buildings."

In the Benishangul-Gumuz region, DG ECHO reported that two attacks occurred in Kamashi zone, carried out by "unidentified armed groups said to have come from Oromia." The agency indicated that these incidents displaced approximately 5,900 people within the same district.

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BBC Amharic previously reported that 18 people were killed and ten others injured in an attack in the same district -- Mizhiga, in Kamashi zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz region. The incident reportedly occurred around 5:00 PM on Wednesday, 21 May 2025.

According to residents who spoke to the BBC, the attack targeted a town known as Anger Meti, located about 45 kilometers from Soge town. The victims, residents said, were "peaceful civilians," and the attack was allegedly carried out by "Oromo Liberation Army militants."

Further accounts cited by Deutsche Welle stated that "ten of the wounded were taken to Nekemet Hospital," located in Oromia region. In addition, "three people were abducted," and several houses were set on fire during the assault, according to the outlet.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), for its part, said those displaced are in "urgent need" of assistance. According to the agency, priority needs include "food, non-food items, and protection services." DG ECHO added that its partners have initiated a Multi-Purpose Cash Transfers (MPCT) response to help meet immediate humanitarian needs.

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