1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Conflicts

Ethiopia: Police uncover mass grave of 200

November 9, 2018

Police have discovered hundreds of bodies in Ethiopia's troubled area between the Oromia and Somali regions during an investigation into Abdi Mohammed. The former Somali leader is suspected of human rights violations.

Dust clouds blow across the parched landscape in the Danan district of the Somali region of Ethiopia
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/E. Meseret

Police have uncovered a mass grave containing an estimated 200 bodies in the eastern part of Ethiopia, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported Thursday.

Fana said police were carrying out a court-ordered investigation into alleged abuses by forces loyal to Abdi Mohammed, the former president of an Ethiopian Somali region, who is currently in detention.

Authorities have been granted 14 days to unearth and do forensic examinations on the bodies. It is not yet clear where the people are from or what happened to them.

Ethiopia frees prisoners

01:25

This browser does not support the video element.

Relentless pattern of abuse, torture: Human Rights Watch

Mohammed has been accused of human rights violations and of being connected to the Liyu, an unofficial militia active in the region who are known to have committed violent acts. The unearthed bodies appear to be related to a series of ethnic clashes involving the militant group.

Ethiopian officials said the Liyu carried out an assault in August that killed 41 people and injured 20 others. Human Rights Watch has accused the Liyu of carrying out a brutal and relentless pattern of abuse, torture, rape and humiliation in the region.

Numerous ethnic clashes have taken place across the East African country, posing a serious challenge to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in April.

dv/cmk (AP, dpa)

Every day, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

Skip next section Explore more
Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW