GNV News – January 12, 2026

From mid to late December 2025, fierce clashes broke out along the border with South Sudan in Ethiopia’s Gambella region. Dozens of people were reported killed, and on some days the death toll reached more than 47, but the total number of fatalities remains unknown. The killing of the regional police chief accelerated the violence, which is rooted in a long-standing conflict between the Nuer and Anuak ethnic groups. The Gambella Regional Police Commission has arrested suspects in connection with the violence, including several high-ranking officials. The latest turmoil has deepened the humanitarian crisis, with interethnic tensions playing a central role.

The ethnic divide between people who identify as Anuak and those who identify as Nuer has developed due to a complex set of factors. Competition over historical land and natural resources is one of the main causes. Between 1974 and 1991, Ethiopia’s military regime resettled Nuer communities in Gambella, while often driving the Anuak from their traditional lands. The regime also carried out infrastructure development projects that occupied vast tracts of land historically held by the Anuak.

Decades of conflict in South Sudan have also contributed to tensions. Over the years, large numbers of South Sudanese refugees, many of whom identify primarily as Nuer, have poured into areas traditionally inhabited by the Anuak, putting pressure on local resources and worsening the Anuak’s economic and ecological conditions. Clashes between refugees and the local Anuak communities are frequent, and groups of Anuak have at times launched attacks on refugee camps.

Since the escalation of conflict in December 2025, many residents fear that armed individuals are infiltrating Gambella by posing as refugees and crossing the poorly monitored border with South Sudan. Since the clashes, regional refugee camps have become inaccessible due to security concerns, cutting off access. Aid agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) have suspended their operations. As a result, camp residents have lost access to food, water, and medical care. Moreover, clashes over these limited resources are occurring within the camps themselves, often between groups divided along ethnic lines. The violence has also had a major impact on host communities, with many residents seeking refuge in schools and temporary shelters. Although an indefinite nighttime curfew was imposed after the clashes, limited movement has resumed, and at the time of writing, relative stability has been observed.

The region’s humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. Prolonged economic hardship and instability, the food crisis, pressure from the influx of refugees, and ethnic tensions within the region all worsen the crisis. Armed South Sudanese rebel groups backed by the Ethiopian government are based in Gambella, further destabilizing the region. In addition, the proliferation of weapons and illicit arms markets in the area is further fueling this ongoing humanitarian crisis. If these tensions are not contained, there is a risk of renewed violence and heightened suffering for vulnerable communities.

Learn more about Ethiopia → “Ethiopia’s Grand Reform: Can the New Prime Minister Abiy Be a Savior?”

Learn more about South Sudan → “South Sudan: Political Instability and Severe Natural Disasters”

Refugees arriving in Gambella receive basic assistance (2017) (Photo: Lars Oberhaus / Creative Commons [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])