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Updated Dec 24, 2020 - World

Ethiopia's PM sends forces to region where gunmen killed over 100 people

Jacob Knutson

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed tweeted Thursday that he's sent forces to the western Benishangul-Gumuz region, where gunmen killed more than 100 people a day earlier.

Why it matters: Wednesday's attack on the village of Bekoji is the latest massacre in Ethiopia as ethnic tensions escalate over land and other resources. The violence has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.

What they're saying: "The massacre of civilians in Benishangul-Gumuz region is very tragic," Abiy said in a Twitter post, translated by Reuters. "The government, to solve the root causes of the problem, has deployed a necessary force."

The big picture: Ethiopia has faced consistent outbreaks of deadly violence since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was appointed in 2018.

  • In the northern region of Tigray, Ethiopia’s military have been fighting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a renegade political faction.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of Abiy's announcement.

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