Regional special police and district militias allegedly burned more than 80 houses and forcibly displaced residents from several kebeles in Dibate District, Metekel Zone of Benishangul-Gumuz Region, according to displaced residents.
Mulualem Wowaya, Dibate District Administrator, denied the allegations when contacted by Addis Standard, stating "no such grievance has reached us from the people regarding this issue."
Residents told Addis Standard that security forces issued orders about a month ago requiring residents to vacate areas in Gipo and Chati kebeles because authorities wanted to "take action against the Oromo Liberation Army." Those who refused to leave were reportedly beaten and injured.
Following the initial displacement, Gumuz Special Police and militias from Bulla District conducted what they described as a "search operation" beginning on February 25-26, 2026. Residents said the forces burned more than 80 houses in Chokorsa and Dibachi kebeles, looted cattle, and destroyed property.
"It has been over a month and two weeks since we were forcibly displaced from our homes and property and came to Gipo Kebele; now we have no home and are living under the shade of trees," a resident of Chokorsa Kebele told Addis Standard.
A displaced father of six said he returned briefly to the area and saw that more than 84 residential houses had been burned. When asked why the attack occurred, he said security forces told residents it was because "you are feeding Shene."
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Residents also alleged that on March 10, 2026, government security forces burned houses in neighboring Tuski Kebele. One resident reported losing his house and 150 quintals of maize during the incidents.
Displaced residents said they have received no humanitarian assistance since fleeing their villages, exposing them to hunger and psychological distress. Children are not attending school and families lack adequate food, water, and shelter.
Metekel Zone has experienced recurring violence since 2019, with devastating conflicts between 2019-2022 followed by relative calm until May 2025. The zone, which includes Guba woreda where the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is located, saw a new wave of insecurity beginning in May 2025. In November 2025, residents reported that more than 40 civilians were killed in an attack in Bakuji Kebele of Bulen Woreda. The fragile peace that followed the earlier conflicts appears to have unraveled, compounding security challenges in areas surrounding the dam.
