'Many killed' in restive central Ethiopia: Local official - Africa
Ethiopian local authorities said Thursday that "many civilians" were killed last week by militias in the restive Oromia region, without giving more details.
Oromia, the country's most populous region, has since 2018 been in the grip of an insurrection by the Oromo Liberation Army, with peace talks failing to yield progress.
The central region, which contains capital Addis Ababa, is racked by conflicts including political schisms, land disputes, and ethnic strife.
The attack occurred on Friday, local district administrator Ketema Wakuma told AFP, roughly 300 kilometres (180 miles) west of Addis Ababa.
"The extremist forces of Fano had committed the atrocity that killed many civilians," he said, a reference to the "self-defence" Fano militia, which have clashed in neighbouring Amhara region against government forces since April 2023.
"The exact number of people killed is not known," he added.
Local independent outlet the Addis Standard said at least 20 were killed in the incident, and three kidnapped.
The Fano, a largely autonomous group with no central command, have been increasing their attacks against security forces and managed to briefly seize towns in Amhara several times.
Armed conflicts are currently roiling Ethiopia's two most populated regions, Amhara and Oromia.
The country endured one of the deadliest conflicts in recent decades in northern Tigray, when federal forces clashed with Tigrayan rebels between 2020 and 2022. At least 600,000 were killed.
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