Assosa

BENISHANGUL-GUMUZ NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE

Conflict Background

Gumuz militia attacks by 2019 resulted in the massacre of over 200 people, including pregnant women and children from Shinasha, Amhara, and Oromo communities. Direct targeting of women, including pregnant women, highlighting extreme violence and human rights violations.

Source: Tsegaye Shibiru, ‘Conflict Trend Analysis Benshangule Gumze Regional State’ (Rift Valley Institute Peace Research Facility)

Between January 2020 and 2021, significant fatalities occurred across Metekel Zone: Bullen (522), Debatie (298), Wombera (61), Dangur (49), and Mandura (49). Approximately 125,099 households were displaced, with over 1,000 deaths reported across six Woredas. The conflict resulted in the destruction of over 15,032 housing units in BGNRS and 11,822 in Metekel Zone. This caused loss of family members, increased care burdens, and heightened insecurity, leading to further loss of shelter and essential resources, exacerbating vulnerability for women.

Source: Samuel Lulie Demsash, Alemu Azmeraw Bekele, ‘Political and Economic Exclusion-Induced Conflict and Displacement: Evidences from Metekel Zone, Benishangul Gumuz National Regional State (BGNRS)’ (2021) 20(1) Ethiopian Journal of the Social Sciences and Humanities (EJOSSAH) 42-44.

The political unrest in the Benishangul-Gumuz region has intensified with the arrests of leaders from the Sudan-based Benishangul People’s Liberation Movement (BPLM), primarily comprising Berta individuals, alongside members of the Boro Democratic Party, leading to heightened insecurity and fear among the populace. In October 2023, tensions escalated further as non-Oromo residents of Assosa protested against the Oromo Ireecha celebration, resulting in increased civilian deaths and displacements, particularly along the borders with Oromia. This cycle of violence and political instability has disproportionately impacted women, exacerbating their vulnerability to gender-based violence, limiting their access to essential resources, and undermining their rights and safety in conflict-affected areas.

Source: Guyu Ferede, ‘Conflict Trends Analysis / Political Uncertainty and Continuing Conflict in Benishangul–Gumuz’ (Rift Valley Institute Peace Research Facility)

Anasa Remedan

Hawa Seid

Matsuh Musa

Meriem Idris

Meriem Jima

Twah Afut

One early morning in May 2020, the K’muz entered our village suddenly and started shooting randomly. Many of our neighbors were killed and others were kidnapped by the gunmen. The K’muz killed my father. My sisters and the children of one of them, a boy and a girl, and even my mother were taken by the K’muz and we don’t know where they are now. I had three sisters once, and I only have one now. My mother is old, and I don’t know what they have done with her. None of us know what has happened to our family that was taken by the K’muz

የቀድሞ አድራሻዬ ጉንፊ አረባ ነበር፡፡ ከወለጋ ጋር ሲዋሰን በሰላሙ ጊዜ ከአሶሳ ወደ መንደራችን የምንመጣው ወለጋ ውስጥ ባለ መንዲ በሚባል ከተማ ውስጥ አቋርጠን ነበር። ከሁለት አመት በፊት ግን ‘ኦነግ-ሸኔ’ አፈናቀለን። መጀመርያ ንብረታችንን ወሰዱ ከዝያም ቤታችንን አቃጠሉ። የጠፋ ንብረት ብዙ ነው። አስር ጣቴን ብቻ ይዤ ወጣሁ። ድንገት መጡ ቤቶች አቃጠሉ፣ ተኩስ ሰማን.. ይህ ከፈጣሪ ነው የወረደብን እንጂ…. ሲመጡ ስለሸሸን ሲያቃጥሉ አላየናቸውም። እዛ ሁሉም ነገር ነበረን፤ ሰውንም ከብቱንም ሁሉንም አቃጥለው ገድለዋል። ሲመጡ እኔ ማሳ ውስጥ ነበርኩ መስኖ እየሰራሁ … ከብቶቻችንንም ነው ያቃጠሉት …. ከዛ መንደር ስንመለስ ሁሉም ነገር ተቃጥሏል፡፡ ልጆቻችንም ከትምርት ቤት ነው የጠፉት ወደጫካ፡፡ ሸሽተን ስንመጣ ጫካ ውስጥ ብዙ ቀን አድረናል። ሌላ ወረዳ ላይ ለአንድ ወር ሸራ ላይ ከተቀመጥን በኋላ ነው እዚህ የደረስነው።

ዘጠኝ ልጆች ነበሩኝ እነሱ መጥተው ስንሸሽ አንድ የሰባት አመት ልጄም ጠፍቶብኛል… ስንሸሽ በቃ እዛው ጫካ ውስጥ ነው የጠፋው እና እስካሁን ይመጣል ብዬ እየጠበኩት ነው፡፡ እዚህም ውሃው ያልቃል፣ ከወንዝ ነው የምንቀዳው። ምግብ የለም፣ መድሃኒት በበቂ ሁኔታ አናገኝም። ሁለት ጊዜ ብቻ ወረዳው በቆሎ ሰጥቶናል። ገንዘብ ለማግኘት ወርቅ ቁፋሮ ላይ ብንሳተፍም ክፍያው በቀን 160 ብር ነው እና ለትራንፖርትም አይበቃንም። ካለንበት ሰፈር እስከወረዳዉ ከተማ 300 ብር እንከፍላለን።