Mass graves uncovered in Ethiopia’s Amhara region

Officials in Ethiopia have accused Tigrayan fighters of killing 119 civilians in the neighbouring region of Amhara.

They said they had discovered two mass graves in the Dabat district. The officials said the killings were carried out during a two-day period earlier this month.

Residents of China village, 10km (six miles) from Dabat in North Gondar, said there had been heavy fighting there.

Dabat administrator Ato Sewnet Wubalem said 120 bodies had been recovered but residents said some people were still missing.

The bodies were reburied at a church compound.

He added that the victims “were innocent farmers, priests, children and women”.

Local officials and witnesses who spoke to the BBC said rebel fighters committed the atrocity after losing territory during 10 days of heavy fighting.

The rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has not commented on the accusation that its fighters had killed civilians.

Amhara administrators now control the China area in North Gondar which had been taken by the rebels.

The war between federal forces and the TPLF broke out in November last year, it had originally been confined to Tigray but spilled over to neighbouring regions in June after a series of successes by the rebels. -BBC