Ethiopia: Nine policemen dead in attack near camp with Sudanese refugees

Reports state that an armed group launched a deadly assault Wednesday morning, on a police station near the Kumer refugee camp in Ethiopia’s Amhara province. The attack resulted in the deaths of nine police officers, injuries to four others, and the capture of several soldiers.

Lawyer Muhyeldin Adam, a member of the Refugee Committee at Kumer camp, reported to Radio Dabanga that a Sudanese refugee child was critically injured during the attack, which happened in very close proximity to the.

He also noted that the national army arrived hours after the incident, and ambulances transported the bodies and the wounded. Reports have not yet confirmed whether the armed assailants who attacked the police station belonged to the FANO militia, who are particularly active in the Amhara region.

Another spokesperson for the refugees described an ongoing exchange of fire between the armed attackers and the army near the camp, creating a state of terror and panic among the residents. 

Images received by Radio Dabanga depicted the bodies of police officers next to refugee tents before being removed by the military. Refugees highlighted that the camp is precariously situated between the conflicting parties.

Medical staff, comprised of refugee women, managed the initial emergency response and ambulance operations until the army’s arrival over two hours later.

For over two months, thousands of refugees have staged a sit-in near the Ethiopian police station, demanding relocation to a safer area. Some have taken refuge in the nearby Ulala forests, enduring harsh humanitarian conditions.

Lawyer Adam added that the authorities had proposed relocation to an area near Gonder in Amhara province. However, refugees declined due to similar security concerns in that region.

Refugees continue to face unlawful killings and detentions by local militants called shifta in the area), citing the death of a refugee in June, another injury from a gunshot, and the kidnapping of a person in early July for ransom, who remains missing.

Refugee violations

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission’s recent annual report earlier this month, documented a surge in kidnappings for ransom in the Oromia and Amhara regions. The report cited a significant increase in violent incidents, including the kidnapping of refugees.

A memorandum from refugee representatives, obtained by Radio Dabanga, revealed that over 10 per cent of refugees at the Kumer camp have been victims of violent crimes since the camp’s establishment in May 2023. This includes 743 reported incidents of gun threats, forced searches, kidnappings, murders, and robberies.

In response to ongoing threats, Sudanese refugees at the Kumer and Awlala camps have rejected an Ethiopian government offer to relocate them to the Kokit area, situated 30km west of the town of Shahidi. 

The refugees have maintained a sit-in protest in the Awlala border camp, approximately 64km from the Sudanese border, for the past few months. The camp currently houses 6,000 refugees.

Hundreds of Sudanese fled the Awlala camp in light of the deteriorating health and security conditions and the spread of diseases, especially among children, such as cholera, infections, and fevers.

Almost 135,000 people have fled Sudan to Ethiopia since April 15, 2023, according to the latest data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).