More than ten people have been killed and over a dozen injured following violent clashes between communities in the border regions of Gambella and Southwest Ethiopia, with authorities linking the conflict to disputes over traditional gold mining operations.
The confrontation broke out in Dima Woreda (Anywa Zone, Gambella Region) and Beru Woreda (Mirab Omo Zone, Southwest Ethiopia Region), areas known for gold deposits. Tensions escalated after licensed gold miners and militia guards from Dima were reportedly arrested by local forces from neighboring Beru.
Ogula Ujulu, Commissioner of the Gambella Region Police, confirmed that the violence was triggered when militiamen and miners operating under official licenses were detained by security personnel from the Southwest region. “We are still working to verify the exact number of fatalities,” the commissioner said, pledging more information to come.
According to Gemeda Keyidade, Chief Administrator of Beru Woreda, eleven individuals who crossed into Mirab Omo Zone for gold mining were apprehended along with a weapon. However, tensions boiled over when, during the investigation, gunfire erupted from the Gambella side. The attack led to the deaths of ten people — including three police officers and seven civilians involved in mining, some of whom were women. Over ten others were reportedly injured.
In addition to the loss of life, authorities report that more than 20,000 residents have been displaced by the violence. Federal forces have since been deployed to the area in an effort to contain the unrest and restore order.
The incident highlights a broader problem: the growing insecurity along Ethiopia’s western border with South Sudan. Officials warn that weapons smuggled in from South Sudan’s civil war continue to destabilize the region. The Gambella Security Bureau has called attention to the porous nature of the border and the inadequate presence of federal forces, making illegal arms trafficking, child abduction, and property theft increasingly difficult to control.
As tensions remain high, both regional governments are calling for urgent federal intervention to prevent the conflict from escalating further and to protect civilians in the affected areas.
