16 civilians killed as armed men ambush a mourning house in Gurage, Ethiopia

At least 16 civilians were killed and more than 16 women and children were abducted in an armed attack in Abeshige District of the Gurage Zone, Central Ethiopia Regional State, on the night of September 14, 2026, according to residents who spoke to Addis Standard.

A resident of Walda Town in the district said the violence began around 8:30 p.m. when a child aged between seven and 10 was killed. Community members then gathered at a mourning house to offer condolences. Armed men arrived and opened fire indiscriminately on those present, killing several people.

“[When] local people rushed to this mourning house … they indiscriminately opened fire on the residents who came for the mourning and took human lives,” the resident said. More than 16 women and children were subsequently abducted; their whereabouts remain unknown. Attackers also took more than 30 cattle, and survivors fled their homes.

The resident attributed the attack to an armed group operating under the name Fano, saying it was commanded locally by individuals identified as “Fano Commander Tadale,” Shambel Tashome Wubishet, Imanyawu Birqu, and Kibru Belete. The group’s strength was estimated at 70 to 100 members. Some members allegedly blend into local communities and later regroup. The resident claimed the group operates and trains in kebeles with limited government control, including Borer, Medi Tedele, Kudaar 5 and 6, and Kudaar 7.

A second resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, confirmed an attack took place but put the death toll at more than 11. Bodies were still being recovered at the time of the report. The resident alleged that the abductors were demanding ransoms of between 800,000 and 2.5 million birr for the release of those taken.

Both residents said government security forces failed to intervene. The second resident noted that an Ethiopian National Defense Force camp was located about 10 minutes from the site but did not respond. “Officials often do not come to help when trouble strikes; they flee,” the resident said. Fear has spread across the district, with some families fleeing toward Walqitee Town and others to neighboring districts. Recent Federal Police deployments had sought to stabilize the area but were described as no longer sufficient.

Funeral ceremonies for the victims were held at Medanialem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and at the town mosque’s cemetery in Walda. Addis Standard reviewed photographs and video footage purportedly showing victims and funerals but could not independently verify the circumstances or casualty figures from the material alone. As of the report’s publication, officials from Abeshige District and the Central Ethiopia Regional State Administration had not issued a public statement.

The incident follows earlier reported attacks involving armed groups identified by residents as Fano along the Gurage Zone–West Shewa Zone (Oromia) border. These include an October 2025 attack in Nonno District that residents said killed more than 25 people, including women and children, and a July 2025 attack in the same district that killed 16.