The Ethiopian army will train around 10,000 militiamen in the coming days to help stem violence in the country’s western Benishangul-Gumuz regional state, a military officer said on Monday. Lt.-Gen. Asrat Denero, chief of Metekel zone task force in Benishangul-Gumuz regional state, said the first round of training for new militia recruits will start soon, Ethiopia News Agency (ENA) reported. The training is part of a broader strategy to curb militant violence in Metekel, Denero said. In recent months, inter-communal violence in Metekel, of Benishangul-Gumuz regional state, has left thousands of civilians dead and more than 100,000 others displaced. In one especially deadly incident, 207 people were killed in Bekoji, a village in Metekel zone.

Source: Ethiopian News February 08, 2021 17:15 UTC