By Reuters Staff
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Ethiopia’s government said on Saturday it would act against the perpetrators after a video appeared on social media showing armed men, some in military uniforms, burning civilians to death in the country’s west.
The Ethiopia Government Communication Service said in a statement on its Facebook page that the incident occurred in the Ayisid Kebele of Metekel Zone in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, a site of frequent ethnic violence for more than a year in which hundreds of civilians have died.
“A horrific and inhumane act was recently committed… In a series of horrific images circulated on social media, innocent civilians were burned to death,” the statement read.
It did not say when the events took place or who was responsible.
“Regardless of their origin or identity, the government will take legal action against those responsible for this gross and inhumane act.”
Reuters was not able to verify the time and location where the video was filmed or the actions it showed.
In the video, some of the men in the crowd are wearing Ethiopian military uniforms as well as uniforms from other regional security forces.
Military spokesperson Colonel Getnet Adane and government spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The violence in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, which is home to several ethnic groups, is separate from the war in the northern Tigray region that erupted in November 2020 between Ethiopian federal forces and rebellious forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Please help stop the ongoing genocide on Tigray . People of Tigray are subjected to unspeakble horrors-burnt alive, thrown into a body of water, starved to death,enduring chilling account of crude and unbearable Torture. Our gallant fighters(TDF) put their lives on the line every day to defend our people , and free our sacred land from invaders!! 493 days of Horror against people of Tigray as of 4Nov2020. … or 70 weeks & 3 days of genocide on Tigray …
1 year, 4 months & 8 days of mass killings, manmade starvation & other sorts of atrocities.
Stop all these incessant mass killings , ugly forms of torture committed by fanos, Eritrean and ethiopian soldiers against our unarmed and innocent people of Tigray. The response given to the ongoing genocide in Tigray is inadequate and total manifestation of irresponsible global leadership and lack of accountability!
Please stop the genocide in Tigray, Oromia , Metekel zone and rest of Ethiopia.
As long as Abiy’s Amhara expasionists/elites dominated illegal ruling clique remains in power,there won’t be peace in the rotten Ethiopian empire & the HOA. After successive Ethiopian rulers haven’t brought any well known criminals to justice for the last 30 years,specially the last 3 years,why should anyone trust their fake promises. The ruling clique is illegal & criminal. It cannot investigate itself & bring itself to justice. Should be removed from power to have accountability & bring all criminals to justice.