Armed incursions and cattle rustling devastate farming communities in the South Ethiopia Region as local officials warn of an unfolding security vacuum
By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — Escalating militant incursions in Gorca District within the Kore Zone of the South Ethiopia Region, alongside an insufficient response from federal security authorities, have created a dire security crisis for local farming communities, according to a report by Addis Maleda.
Gorca District Administrator Melkamu Asfaw and local residents told Addis Maleda that armed militants operating from the neighboring West Guji Zone of the Oromia Region carry out systematic killings, physical assaults, and cattle rustling against civilians.
Residents revealed to Addis Maleda that armed groups issued explicit threats, warning that raids could occur through September 10, 2026. To protect their families and property, community members spend their nights on guard duty. Despite submitting repeated formal grievances to municipal and zonal authorities, residents reported receiving no effective security protection, leaving local agricultural communities in high distress.
According to Addis Maleda, militants use surrounding forest cover to execute surprise ambushes, effectively blocking crucial movement routes for farmers along the Kore–Guji border. Frustrated residents emphasized that unheeded pleas to federal authorities have directly led to preventable civilian deaths.
District Administrator Melkamu confirmed to Addis Maleda that the violence severely impacts 11 kebeles in Gorca District. He noted that cross-border raids have persisted for over a decade, taking a heavy toll on civilian lives and forcing farmers to abandon vast stretches of agricultural land, which have since reverted to dense forest.
Cross-border conciliation talks between Gorca leaders and administration officials in the neighboring Gela and Suro Barguda districts of West Guji Zone failed to produce results, Addis Maleda reported. Melkamu explained that several border kebeles in West Guji lack active state administrative structures, allowing armed groups to operate without municipal oversight.
Efforts to organize and deploy local civil defense militias proved ineffective against the superior weaponry of non-state armed groups, the administrator stated. With municipal resources exhausted, recent morning raids resulted in extensive cattle theft and additional civilian deaths, underscoring a rapidly deteriorating situation.
Melkamu warned that without an immediate, large-scale law enforcement and security intervention by both regional and federal governments, cross-border violence will continue to destabilize the region.
Borkena noted that its attempts to contact administrative officials in Gela and Suro Barguda districts for comment were unsuccessful, adding that it will publish updates as responses become available.
__
Join our Telegram Channel: t.me/borkena
Like borkena on Facebook
Join the conversation. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @zborkena to get the latest Ethiopian news updates regularly. Subscribe to the YouTube channel. To share information or for submission, email info@borkena.com