Weekend fighting between rival ethnic groups in western Ethiopia killed at least 44 people, state affiliated media reported Tuesday. Violence began when officials from Benishangul-Gumuz were killed by unidentified gunmen, said the Walta Media and Communication Corporate, citing the region’s communications chief Zelalem Jaleta. The clashes between youths from rival ethnic groups armed with rocks and knives forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes with security forces deployed to pacify the area. READ MORE: Chaos in Ethiopia as angry protesters react to killing of 23 in ethnic violenceThe UN humanitarian office OCHA said some 70,000 people had been displaced in the wave of violence. Fighting between the Oromo – the country’s largest ethnic group – and the Gedeo minority in the south of the country meanwhile has displaced nearly one million people.

Source: Ethiopian News October 02, 2018 14:03 UTC