More than 100 people have been killed in attacks in Ethiopia and Mali. In Ethiopia, eyewitnesses reported shots being fired at members of the Amhari ethnic group, which the government blames a rebel group. Mali is known as “criminal terrorists”.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, speaks of terror. Restoring security and peace is now the top priority for his government. On Saturday, armed men and women attacked civilians of the Amharic ethnic group near the town of Gimbi and in several surrounding villages. 100 people were said to have been shot. According to an eyewitness, it mainly concerns women, children and the elderly. Many civilians hid in the surrounding forests for fear of further attacks.
Rebel group denies attack
The regional government in Ethiopia blames the attacks on the rebel group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which is demanding more autonomy and self-determination for its population. However, a spokesperson denies this. The Oromo ethnic group numbers about 35 million people, while the Amharic minority dominates politically. About 115 million people live in Ethiopia. In recent years there have been repeated ethnic conflicts.
Jihadist Gewalt in Mali
The conflict in the West African country of Mali has a different background, where at least 20 people are said to have been killed on Saturday in several villages in the municipality of Anchawajd. A representative of the authorities spoke of 24 dead, the police of “criminal terrorists”. Ten years ago, an Islamic insurgency started in Mali and spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. So far, thousands of armed forces and civilians have been killed and two million people have been displaced from their countries of origin.
The country is run by a military government and the military has been repeatedly accused of human rights violations. In addition, there is a UN peacekeeping mission on site that wants to conclude a peace agreement, protect the civilian population and make humanitarian aid possible. At least 13,000 soldiers are deployed for this. It was not until Sunday morning that a blue helmet soldier from Guinea was killed in an explosion during a minesweeper operation.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
