The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said she was "horrified" by what she called the "massacre" of many civilians in western Ethiopia, and demanded that the authorities conduct immediate investigations.
In a statement, Michelle Bachelet urged the Ethiopian authorities to "carry out immediate and in-depth investigations into the attacks that killed hundreds of people" in western Ethiopia over the weekend.
Her office spoke with witnesses who reported that on the morning of June 18, a group of armed men went to the village of Toul, which is mostly of Amhara ethnicity.
They said they began shooting indiscriminately, killing hundreds, mostly women and children, and forcing at least 2,000 others to flee their homes.
They added that these gunmen set fire to several houses during this four-hour attack.
"I was horrified by the insane killings and forced displacement of the local population during the attack on Toul," Bachelet said.
"I call on the Ethiopian authorities to ensure immediate investigations into this attack and to ensure that the victims and their families receive truth, justice and reparations," she added.
According to the United Nations, an unknown number of people were kidnapped during the attack, but their fate is still unknown.
There was no immediate comment from the Ethiopian authorities on the words of the United Nations Commissioner, but the federal government in Addis Ababa always confirms its efforts in this context, as it carries out military operations against the militants on more than one front.
The Source
- Agencies