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The death toll from a Wednesday attack in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia has risen to 222 people, a volunteer from the country’s Red Cross told Reuters on Friday.
“Yesterday we buried 207 people who are the victims and 15 more from the attackers,” said the volunteer, Melese Mesfin.
The attack occurred in the village of Bekoji in Bulen county in the Metekel zone, and the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission initially estimated more than 100 people had been killed.
Ethiopia has been grappling with outbreaks of deadly violence since Abiy was appointed in 2018 and accelerated political reforms that loosened the state’s iron grip on regional rivalries.
Elections due next June have further inflamed rivalries over land, power and resources.
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Last Update: Friday, 25 December 2020 KSA 20:07 – GMT 17:07
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