Residents of Makot and Puldeng kebeles in Itang Special Woreda came under heavy violence as armed attackers carried out an assault early Saturday morning, 28 February 2026, at approximately 7:00 a.m. local time.

Scores of people were killed and dozens injured during the incident. This comes after a community member give a warning about the Anyuak intention to arm the Nuer population in those tow kebles at this point in time. There was prior warnings circulated on social media indicating that an attack might occur.

One social media user, identified as Gatran Thiang, reportedly warned Nuer residents a day earlier about a possible assault on Makot and Puldeng.
He claims suggest that some of the attackers may have come from Pochalla County in South Sudan and allegedly joined individuals from within Ethiopia.

These reports further claim that the group involved may have numbered around 1,500 individuals. However, these figures have not been independently confirmed.
Residents have also questioned the response of the regional authorities in Gambella, alleging that security forces had prior intelligence about potential violence but failed to prevent the attack.

At the time of writing, there has been no official statement confirming these allegations or providing details about the incident.
Given the sensitivity of ethnic tensions in the region, independent verification and official investigation will be critical to establish the facts surrounding the attack.