Ethiopia: 12 dead and dozens injured in violence in the west

At least 12 people were killed and dozens more injured in violence that occurred Friday in western Ethiopia, near the border with South Sudan, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported.

Intercommunal conflicts are frequent in the Gambella Regional State, home to more than 400,000 refugees, the vast majority of whom are South Sudanese, who have fled violence in the youngest state on the planet.

Various armed groups are active across the country, with diverse demands and dynamics.

In a report published in early 2025, the Rift Valley Institute specifically mentioned "access to resources" and the influx of refugees as major factors that "fuel and perpetuate the various conflicts in the region."

On September 18, MSF teams "faced an influx of wounded following violence in the special woreda (an administrative subdivision, editor's note) of Itang," bordering South Sudan, the NGO said in a statement released Sunday evening.

"The health center received 88 patients affected by this violence. Eight had died, and four others died on arrival (...), despite the efforts of the medical teams," MSF continued.

MSF's head of operations in Ethiopia, Gul Badshah, urged "all parties involved to exercise restraint and protect civilians from further violence," but without giving further details about those responsible.

In August 2025, the NGO reported minimal food rations and malnutrition in the seven refugee camps in the area, pointing to recent cuts in humanitarian aid.

Ethiopia, an East African giant with approximately 130 million inhabitants, is plagued by conflicts in its two most populated regions, Oromia and Amhara.