Five people working for a mining company were killed in an attack carried out by unknown gunmen near Nedjo town in Ethiopia’s Oromia region on Tuesday.
Local media, quoting the Oromia Communication Bureau, reported that two out of the five killed were foreigners, but did not give the nationalities of the deceased, while the other three were Ethiopians.
The attack near the town, which is about 500 km from the capital Addis Ababa, is the latest challenge to efforts by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to restore peace in the country, and especially the region which is home to Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo.
In August last year, at least 40 people died in ethnic violence while in September at least 23 people were killed in a spate of violence that targeted minorities and saw several homes and businesses looted.
Prime Minister Abiy, who embarked on a reformist agenda that included reconciliation locally and abroad since his rise to office, has been criticised for allowing dormant ethnic rivalries to resurface.
