At Least 12 Killed In Ethiopia-Gambella Violence As Dozens Are Injured

At least 12 people have been killed and dozens more injured following violence in western Ethiopia near the border with South Sudan.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said its medical teams treated a large influx of wounded patients after clashes broke out in Itang Special Woreda in the Gambella region on Friday, 18 September.

The medical charity said it received 88 patients following the violence, including eight people who were already dead when they arrived and another four who died after reaching the health facility.

Gambella Violence Leaves At Least 12 Dead

MSF teams at the Kule health centre responded to the influx of patients following the latest outbreak of violence.

The organisation said the scale of the casualties placed pressure on medical services responding to those injured in the clashes.

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MSF operations manager in Ethiopia, Gul Badshah, called for restraint from those involved in the fighting.

“We call on all those involved to exercise restraint and protect civilians from further violence.”

The identity of those responsible for the latest violence has not been established.

South Sudan Refugees Among Gambella’s Population

The violence occurred in Gambella, a region that has experienced repeated intercommunal clashes and is also home to more than 400,000 refugees.

Most of the refugees in the region are South Sudanese who fled conflict and instability in the world's youngest country.

The latest violence therefore comes in an area already dealing with significant humanitarian pressures linked to displacement and recurring insecurity.

A 2025 report by the Rift Valley Institute attributed increasing conflict in Gambella to competition over economic resources and the arrival of refugees in the region.

Ethiopia Faces Wider Armed Conflict

The latest deaths add to wider security challenges facing Ethiopia, which has experienced armed conflicts in several parts of the country.

The Oromia and Amhara regions, Ethiopia’s two most populous regions, have also been affected by armed violence.

In Gambella, the latest clashes have raised renewed concerns about the safety of civilians and the ability of health services to respond to sudden surges in casualties.

Authorities have yet to establish publicly who was responsible for the 18 September violence or provide a definitive explanation for what triggered the latest fighting.