ADDIS ABABA — In a brutal attack Wednesday morning, an armed group assaulted a police station near the Kumer refugee camp in Ethiopia’s Amhara province, resulting in the deaths of nine police officers and injuring four others.
Several soldiers were also captured during the raid, according to local reports.
Muhyadeen Mohammed Adam, a lawyer and member of the Refugee Committee at Kumer camp, told local media that a Sudanese refugee child was critically injured during the assault, which occurred in close proximity to the camp.
Adam noted that the national army arrived hours after the incident, and ambulances transported the deceased and wounded.
It remains unconfirmed whether the attackers were affiliated with the FANO militia, which is particularly active in the Amhara region.
A spokesperson for the refugees described an ongoing exchange of fire between the armed attackers and the national army near the camp, heightening the state of terror and panic among residents.
Images circulating on social media depicted the bodies of police officers lying next to refugee tents before being removed by the military. Refugees emphasized the precarious position of the camp, situated between conflicting parties.
Medical staff, primarily composed of refugee women, managed the initial emergency response and ambulance operations until the army’s arrival more than two hours later.
For over two months, thousands of refugees have staged a sit-in near the police station, demanding relocation to a safer area. Some have sought refuge in the nearby Ulala forests, enduring harsh humanitarian conditions. Adam reported that the authorities had proposed relocation to an area near Gonder in Amhara province, but refugees declined due to similar security concerns.
Adam emphasized that refugees continue to face unlawful killings and detentions by local militants. He cited incidents, including the death of a refugee in June, another injury from a gunshot, and a kidnapping in early July. The kidnapped individual remains missing.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission’s recent annual report documented a surge in kidnappings for ransom in the Oromia and Amhara regions. The report noted a significant increase in violent incidents, including the kidnapping of refugees.
A memorandum from refugee representatives, obtained by Radio Dabanga, revealed that over 10 percent 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, murder, and looting.
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 30 kilometers west of the city of Shahidi.
The refugees have maintained a sit-in protest in the Ulala border camp, approximately 64 kilometers from the Sudanese border, for the past few months. The camp currently houses 6,000 refugees, including 1,100 women and 2,000 children.
Hundreds of Sudanese have fled the Ulala camp due to deteriorating health and security conditions and the spread of diseases, especially among children, such as cholera, infections, and fevers.
Since April 15, 2023, almost 135,000 people have fled Sudan to Ethiopia, according to the latest data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
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