A sudden armed assault in Buldigu Woreda left at least 46 regional security personnel dead, prompting calls from regional council members for urgent security oversight and institutional accountability
By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — An armed assault on security posts and civilian settlements in Daleti Kebele, situated within the Buldigu Woreda of the Assosa Zone in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, has left dozens dead and injured, raising sharp questions from regional lawmakers regarding persistent security failures along internal borders.
According to a report by Addis Maleda, regional peace and security officials confirmed that armed combatants launched a sudden, coordinated attack on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Security assessments indicate that at least 46 regional security personnel and an unverified number of civilians died during the initial firefight and subsequent engagements before military reinforcements secured the area. Local administrative authorities confirmed that security forces detained several suspects linked to the attack while working to restore displaced residents to their farms and homesteads.
Biniyam Mengesha, Head of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region Peace and Security Office, stated that defense forces restored stability to Daleti Kebele, though formal verification of the final casualty toll remains ongoing. Mengesha attributed the offensive to cross-border insurgent factions operating under joint strategic directives, citing incursions by Fano militias operating from neighboring Amhara and Oromia, elements aligned with the Oromo Liberation Army, and cross-border transit links extending into Sudan. Regional officials linked the operational timing to broader destabilization agendas aimed at frustrating federal security architecture.
At the same time, members of the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional Council’s Standing Committee on Peace, Justice, and Democracy Affairs requested an emergency oversight session with regional and federal security commands. Committee member Girang Gudea stated that recurring armed incursions demand institutional accountability, emphasizing that regional authorities must eliminate systemic delays in early-warning response times and intelligence sharing that leave border communities vulnerable.
Regional and federal security forces maintain heightened defense postures across the Assosa Zone, conducting joint intelligence operations to track remaining insurgent cells and secure transit lines connecting the region to neighboring territories.
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