Violence in western Ethiopia leaves 12 dead, dozens wounded: MSF

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA - At least 12 people have been killed and dozens injured as a result of fighting in western Ethiopia near the border with South Sudan, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

Intercommunal clashes are frequent in the Gambella region, home to more than 400,000 refugees, most of them South Sudanese who have fled violence in the world's youngest country.

"MSF teams at Kule health centre in Ethiopia's Gambella Region have been responding to an influx of wounded patients following violence in Itang Special Woreda on 18 September," the medical charity said in a statement on Sunday.

MSF said it had received 88 patients from Friday's violence, including eight who were already dead and four who died upon arrival.

"We call on all those involved to exercise restraint and protect civilians from further violence," said MSF's operations manager in Ethiopia, Gul Badshah.

It is not clear who was responsible for the violence.

A 2025 Rift Valley Institute report attributed the rise in conflict in Gambella to competition over economic resources and an influx of refugees in the area.

Ethiopia has also been plagued by armed conflicts in its two most populous regions, Oromia and Amhara.