By De Birhan Staffer
02 March 2013
De Birhan's sources in Benishangul region, North West of Ethiopia, are reporting that there has been violent armed clashes in the Region since last night (March 01, 2013). The cause and groups involved in the armed clashes haven't hitherto been clearly identified. The armed clashes between the "unknown groups" has been ongoing at the time of reporting. Some sources are informing De Birhan that the clash is between Gumuz ethnic group and Oromos in Wellega (the former attacking the later).
02 March 2013
De Birhan's sources in Benishangul region, North West of Ethiopia, are reporting that there has been violent armed clashes in the Region since last night (March 01, 2013). The cause and groups involved in the armed clashes haven't hitherto been clearly identified. The armed clashes between the "unknown groups" has been ongoing at the time of reporting. Some sources are informing De Birhan that the clash is between Gumuz ethnic group and Oromos in Wellega (the former attacking the later).
Benishangul is the region where Ethiopia is building its Grand Renaissance Dam. The rebel group, Benishangul people's Liberation Movement has been active and involved in various low intensity conflicts in the Region. A faction of the Movement led by Jafar Mustafa signed a peace agreement "to end its 17 years armed struggle" with the Ethiopian regime on August 2012 in Addis Abeba.
Benishangul Gumuz Gumuz is one of the 9 regional states in Ethiopia. The region borders the Regional States of Amhara, Oromia, Gambela and the Sudan. The Region has a land area of about 50,380 square kilometers. The Blue Nile River splits the region into two. The population of the region was 670,847 in 2007. The Region's ethnic groups include the Berta (the largest in number), Amhara, Gumuz, Oromo, Shinasha and Agaw-Awi (the least). Over 44.98% of the population are Muslim, 33.3% are Orthodox Christians, 13.53% are Protestant, and 7.09% practiced traditional beliefs, according to a 2007 Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency (CSA) data.