South Sudanese refugees killed at least eight Ethiopians, around Gambella town, on Thursday, locals told HornAffairs.

The incident was triggered after a refugee was killed by a car accident.

The driver was identified as a highlander – a term broadly used to refer to residents who are neither from Nuer nor Anuak tribes, who dominate Gambella regional government.

He is an employee of ACF, a humanitarian organization and believed to have fled the area for fear of retaliation.

The refugees attacked “highlanders” residents of the area in retaliation on Thursday.

Local residents told HornAffairs two women and six men were killed.

The victims were “carpenters, masonry workers and daily laborers”.

The refugees are posted at Jewi camp which hosts almost fifty thousand individuals, mostly from South Sudan’s Nuer tribe.

The camp is located 18 kms from Gambella town on the road to Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia hosts about 270 thousand South Sudanese refugees.

Map - Gambella, Ethiopia

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Daniel Berhane

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