Ethiopia: At least 14 people killed, 10 abducted by an armed group in the center

At least 14 people were killed and at least 10 others abducted by an armed group on Monday in central Ethiopia, the NGO specializing in the analysis of armed conflicts, Acled, and a witness told AFP on Friday.

Ethiopia's two most populous regional states, Oromia and Amhara, are plagued by armed groups that oppose federal forces.

Armed conflicts of varying intensity, with diverse dynamics and demands, are also taking place in other regional states of this immense East African country, the second most populated on the continent with some 130 million inhabitants.

On Monday around 3:00 PM (12:00 GMT), an armed group claiming to be part of the Fano Amhara "self-defense" militias "attacked the town of Walga" in the Central Ethiopian regional state, located about 150 kilometers southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, according to Jalale Getachew Birru, an analyst with ACLED. "This attack left between 14 and 17 dead and more than 10 people abducted," she added.

"Attacks carried out by this group are frequent in this border area (of the neighbouring regional state of Oromia) and are often accompanied by demands for large ransoms for the release of hostages," explained Ms. Jalale.

According to the analyst, this armed group is mainly engaged in criminal activities and is not recognized by the leadership of the Fano, traditional popular militias that took up arms against the Ethiopian federal government in April 2023. The Fano, until recently a collection of largely autonomous groups without a real central command, have regrouped in recent months.

According to a resident of the attacked town, who requested anonymity, "16 people were killed." "Around 16 women and children are still being held by their captors," he told AFP, adding that the captors were demanding ransoms ranging from 150,000 to 800,000 birr (between 800 and 4,270 euros), considerable sums in Ethiopia.

Several regions of Ethiopia are experiencing waves of kidnappings for ransom. According to observers, the phenomenon has intensified since the end of 2022.

In September 2024, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), an administratively independent public institution, warned of an increase in these kidnappings carried out by "organized gangs", but also by "some members of government security forces".