Addis Abeba — More than 65 people, including members of regional security forces and at least 27 civilians, were killed in a heavily armed attack in Dalati locality of Buldiglu Woreda, Assosa Zone, Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State, residents told Addis Standard.
The attacks, which reportedly took place on Thursday and Friday, 5 and 6 November, targeted members of the regional anti-riot police, local militias, and special forces, as well as civilians, including women and children. Residents said approximately 45 of those killed were members of the region's various security forces.
However, several local reports have put the death toll at more than 100, including dozens of civilians. Addis Standard could not independently verify the higher figures.
"The attackers were heavily armed men. Some of them were wearing the former security uniform of the region," one eyewitness told Addis Standard by phone.
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Another witness said the attacks continued for nearly two days, with no intervention from federal forces during the fighting.
"The attacks lasted almost two days, and there was no intervention from federal forces. The local security forces were unable to contain the fighting until the following day," the witness said.
A 65-year-old farmer who lost his younger brother in the attack described how his brother was caught in the crossfire while searching for medication for his ailing wife.
His brother had been trying to obtain prescription medicine for his wife, who had been bedridden for eight months due to high blood pressure and was receiving treatment at Assosa Hospital. She was discharged on Monday, and he had spent the following three days searching for her medication at different local pharmacies, the farmer said.
"That day, he never came home," he told Addis Standard.
The farmer said he did not personally witness the attackers but recalled that it took several hours before families could begin collecting the victims' bodies because of the intensity of the fighting.
Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State Police Commission Commissioner Mohammed Idriss confirmed the attack in an interview with BBC Amharic, saying it occurred in the early hours of Thursday, around 5 a.m. He attributed the assault to the armed group known as OLF-Shene.
According to Idriss, the attack took place in Dalati locality, which borders neighboring Oromia Region. He reported that 21 civilians, 18 anti-riot police officers, and 13 local militia members were among the casualties. His breakdown accounts for 52 deaths, although residents have reported a higher toll.
The regional government had not issued an official statement on the attack at the time of publication.
Renewed violence amid regional security operations
The latest attack comes amid continuing security tensions in Benishangul-Gumuz, a region that has experienced recurrent armed violence, counterinsurgency operations, civilian displacement, and multiple attempts at negotiated settlements.
Although Metekel and Kamashi zones have historically been among the principal areas affected by armed conflict, insecurity has also affected other parts of the region, including Assosa Zone.
The region's conflict landscape has involved several armed and political actors, including the Gumuz People's Democratic Movement (GPDM), the Benishangul People's Liberation Movement (BPLM), local armed factions, which the Ethiopian government refers to as "OLF-Shene". The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) has repeatedly denied military involvement the conflicts in Metekel and Kamashi. The motivations, alliances, and operational presence of these groups have varied over time.
Regional authorities have pursued peace agreements and reconciliation initiatives with some armed groups. In October 2022, the regional government signed an agreement with GPDM, followed by a December 2022 peace accord with BPLM in Khartoum, Sudan. Subsequent rehabilitation, amnesty, and reintegration measures were also announced.
In June 2024, regional authorities declared the successful conclusion of peace agreements with remaining elements of the two groups.
Nevertheless, sporadic attacks and clashes have continued. More recently, the regional police commission announced on 22 October that it had conducted a "coordinated security operation" against what it described as "anti-peace forces" operating in Benishangul-Gumuz.
In a statement disseminated through Benishangul-Gumuz Media, the commission said its riot control unit, working alongside the 404th Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) Corps of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) Western Command, had taken action against an armed faction identified as "Army 13, Corps 2, Battalion 3."
Commander Qurish Ibrahim, head of Riot Control and Special Protection Operations at the regional police commission, alleged that the group was operating under what he described as "the destructive agenda of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), with support from Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea", which he referred to as "Shaebia".
Lieutenant Colonel Wondwosen Birhanu, operations head of the 404th GERD Corps, said the operation had resulted in deaths, injuries, and the "capture of several fighters". He alleged that the group had entered from Debazin, Sudan, using three vehicles and was "seeking to destabilize the region and control its resources."
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The regional authorities also released statements attributed to captured fighters, who allegedly said they had joined the fighting after receiving missions from Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea under the pretext of liberating their country. These allegations were presented by the regional authorities and could not be independently verified.
The 22 October announcement also urged residents in border areas to report suspicious movements to security bodies and called on individuals involved in armed activities to return to their communities and resolve their grievances through dialogue.
The latest attack in Dalati comes less than three weeks after that announcement.
The circumstances surrounding the attack, the identities and affiliations of the perpetrators, and the discrepancy between the casualty figures provided by the police commissioner and those reported by residents remain unclear. Addis Standard could not independently establish whether the latest incident was connected to the armed faction cited in the regional government's October security announcement.
