The Ethiopian Federal Police (EFP) in Gambella suffered a serious loss of public confidence, raising questions about whether it is still fulfilling its

Ethiopian Federal Police

fundamental responsibility to protect civilians.

The repeated attacks on passenger buses raised grave concerns within the Nuer community about the effectiveness and conduct of the EFP.

Members of the community  questioned whether EFP officials may have been compromised through corruption or financial inducements, while others  questioned whether the force has become unwilling or unable to confront armed attackers.

These allegations are serious and must be independently investigated.  In the previous attack, in which two people lost their lives and nine others were seriously injured, the conduct of the Ethiopian Federal Police particularly the treatment of an officer who responded to the violence raised serious concern.

One Federal Police officer of Nuer background responded to the attack and fired shots in an attempt to confront the alleged attackers and protect the victims. Rather than being recognised for responding to an unfolding attack, the officer was punished by the head of the Federal Police in Gambella with a two-month salary suspension over the 11 rounds of ammunition he used while responding to the attack.

This raises a deeply troubling question: Why would an officer who responded while civilians were under attack be punished for attempting to protect them?

There are also allegations that other Federal Police officers, including officers from Oromo, Amhara and Southern Ethiopian backgrounds, did not intervene or provide meaningful assistance to the victims.

These claims should be independently investigated, including whether all officers present fulfilled their duties and complied with applicable rules of engagement.

If the reported punishment was imposed specifically because a Nuer officer used his weapon while confronting the attackers, while officers who failed to respond faced no comparable consequences, the Federal Police leadership owes the public a clear explanation.

Following the previous attack, members of the Nuer community called for the Ethiopian Federal Police in Gambella to cease escorting passenger vehicles. They instead demanded that responsibility for escorting passenger buses be transferred to the Gambella Special Force, which they argued had greater local knowledge, operational experience and capacity to protect passengers along vulnerable routes.

A meeting was subsequently attended by Alemitu, President of the Gambella National Regional State, Vice President Dr. Gatluak Ruon, Security Chief Mr. Maber Khor and the Head of the Ethiopian Federal Police in Gambella.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the authorities to address the concerns surrounding the safety of passenger transportation and the Federal Police escort system.

However, Alemitu’s government refused to remove the Ethiopian Federal Police from passenger-vehicle escorts despite the demands for the responsibility to be transferred to the Gambella Special Force. The Nuer argue that maintaining the existing arrangement, despite the concerns raised following the previous attack, left Nuer passengers exposed to continued security risks.

Then, on 18 September 2026, tragedy struck agagai An armed assailants identified as Anyuak attacked a convoy of approximately 30 passenger vehicles escorted by six Ethiopian Federal Police officers travelling in a single pickup.

The scale of the attack was devastating: 17 Nuer passengers were killed and 59 others injured, some seriously.

• The attack raises profound questions about the effectiveness of the Federal Police escort arrangement. How could a convoy of around 30 civilian vehicles, supposedly travelling under armed federal protection, come under such a deadly attack?
• Why were only six Federal Police personnel assigned to escort such a large convoy, and what measures were taken to protect the passengers once the attack began?

These questions cannot simply be dismissed as another security incident. They demand a transparent investigation into the escort’s planning, the number and deployment of security personnel, the response during the attack, and whether authorities had received prior warnings or intelligence.

Most importantly, the families of those killed and injured deserve answers. Seventeen lives were lost, and dozens more were wounded. The Ethiopian Federal Government and the Gambella authorities must explain how such a devastating attack could occur while the passengers were travelling under official security escort.

The circumstances also warrant investigation into whether any officials failed in their duties, whether security arrangements were knowingly inadequate, and whether there was any form of cooperation, corruption or other misconduct that contributed to the vulnerability of the convoy.

Such questions should be answered through an independent and transparent investigation rather than political speculation.

The central issue is accountability. If the Gambella authorities were warned about the risks associated with the existing escort arrangement and nevertheless chose to maintain it, the public deserves to know why.

The decision to reject or not implement the proposed transfer of escort responsibilities to the Gambella Special Force should therefore be reviewed, together with the decisions made before, during and after the 18 September attack.

The lives of civilians cannot be treated as expendable. The Ethiopian Federal Government and the Gambella administration owe the victims, their families and the wider public a full accounting of what happened and why.