At least 12 people have been killed and dozens injured following fighting in Ethiopia’s western Gambella region, near the border with South Sudan, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
MSF said its team at Kule Health Centre treated 88 patients following violence in Itang Special Woreda on September 18.
Eight patients were already dead when they arrived, while four others died upon arrival.
The clashes occurred in Gambella, which hosts more than 400,000 refugees, most of them South Sudanese who fled violence in their home country.
“We call on all those involved to exercise restraint and protect civilians from further violence,” said MSF’s operations manager in Ethiopia, Gul Badshah.
The identity of those responsible for the violence remains unclear. A 2025 report by the Rift Valley Institute attributed rising conflict in Gambella to competition over economic resources and the influx of refugees into the region.
Ethiopia is also grappling with armed conflicts in Oromia and Amhara, the country’s two most populous regions.
