Dozens killed by Ethiopian ethnic militia: survivors

SMA NEWS – NAIROBI
Militia members from Ethiopia’s second largest ethnic group killed dozens of people and torched and looted homes in an attack on a town in the country’s restless Oromia region, survivors told AFP.
The attack took place early Monday in Agamsa in Oromia, Ethiopia’s largest and most densely populated region which is regularly rocked by clashes between the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups.
“The attackers attacked… from three directions using gunfire and continued their attacks until around 2:00 pm,” a survivor, who fled Agamsa told AFP.
“They killed around 100 residents, torched many houses and shops and looted food warehouses using rickshaws, cars and motorcycles. I saw the attack with my own eyes, but managed to flee unharmed.”
Another survivor said the assailants stole cattle and killed more than 100 people.
Both said the men were members of a militia based in the neighboring Amhara region.
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which is designated a terrorist organization by Addis Ababa, said the Amhara Fano militia staged the attack and killed at least 62 people in Agamsa.
Neither the regional or federal governments responded to AFP’s demands for confirmation.
Locals said the attack came after rotating regional troops left the area on Sunday but had not been replaced.
A resident, who fled Agamsa but returned, said: “I’m still in Agamsa town but there is no government security forces presence. We’re afraid the attackers will come again.”