The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission Wednesday said more than 100 people were killed in the latest massacre along ethnic lines in the west of the country.
Gunmen shot dead people in the Bulen area of the region, in western Ethiopia and set on fire the homes of sleeping residents, the commission said in a statement.
The attack came the day after the prime minister and the military chief Birhanu Jula and other senior federal officials visited the region to urged calm after a number of deadly incidents between rival ethnic groups in recent months.
The most recent attack in the area was on November 14, when gunmen targeted a bus and killed 34 people.
Some people in remote villages remained encircled and under threat on Wednesday evening, with the overall death toll above 200, asserted Belete Molla, head of the National Movement of Amhara political party.
He said he had spoken by phone with some residents.
The region’s Communication Bureau chief Atinkut Shitu told the BBC Amhara Service that the targeted killings were committed in Koji locality, Bulen district of Metekel zone.
Atinkut projected the death toll could be higher.
Residents of the Bulen town told the BBC Amhara service that the attack began around 5:00am and continued until midday.
The residents said at least 28 houses belonging to the victims were burned down.
Apart from failure to enforce the rule of law and protect the security of citizens in three districts of the Metekel zone, the government is criticized for failing to name the series of attacks as ethnic cleansing against Amhara and Agaw people.
MG/as/APA