Murle gunmen allegedly crossed into Ethiopia’s Gambella region and killed 28 people before fleeing with 43 children.
BY AGENCIES
More than 1,000 gunmen from South Sudanese killed 28 people and kidnapped 43 children in Ethiopia’s Gambella province, an Ethiopian official says.
Men from the Murle community, who crossed into Ethiopia, are being blamed.
“Murle bandits carried out the attack. They fled along with 43 children,” Chol Chany, a regional government spokesman told Reuters, using a term for a local ethnic group.
“The [Ethiopian military] is pursuing them. The assailants haven’t crossed over to South Sudan yet.”
Mawien Makol Arik, spokesman for South Sudan’s foreign ministry, said he was aware of fighting in Gambella. He said Ethiopian troops have not yet crossed the border into South Sudan in pursuit of the accused attackers.
Feuding communities on both sides of the border have been known to attack each other, often carrying away spoils.
The latest raids took place almost a year after similar attacks in the province’s Jikawo and Lare areas, that killed 200 people and kidnapping more than 160 children.
At that time, residents of Gambella town demonstrated, demanding justice and calling for better security.
The latest raids were carried out over two days – first on Sunday and then Monday – in Gambella’s Gog and Jol areas, which border South Sudan, Chol Chany is quoted by Reuters as saying.
* BBC News and Al Jazeera contributed to the story.
