Recurring Attacks Against Afar Civilians Amid Persistent Impunity
A group of Issa gunmen has struck again, killing a seven-year-old Afar boy on 25 October 2026 at Sibaybi, Afar Regional State. The seven-year-old boy was brutally attacked with a knife and had his throat slit. Images of the slaughtered child are so graphic and distressing that they are far too disturbing to share here. No child should ever suffer such a horrific fate.
This latest killing is not an isolated incident but form part of a disturbing pattern of recurring violence against Afar civilians by a group of Issa terrorists, with those responsible continuing to act with impunity, while authorities continue to talk of peace initiatives. The following incidents, among many, illustrate the gravity and persistence of this violence.
· 25 October 2026 – Sibaybi: A seven-year-old child was brutally killed, attacked with a knife and had his throat slit.
· 31 August 2026 – Yangudi: A civilian man and his wife were brutally killed while herding their cows
· 3 October 2025 – Gadamaytu: An Afar woman was brutally killed while herding goats in the town of Gadamaytu.
· 23 August 2025 – Bokaitu, Yangidi District: During the night, a group identified as Issa gunmen stormed a pastoralist settlement and killed two young girls while they were sleeping.
· 7 August 2025– Hanruka District, Southern Zone: A group of armed Issa men raided a pastoralist settlement during the night, killing an entire family in their sleep. The victims were a man, his wife, and their two children.
· 16 May 2026 – Gurmudale, near Gawane: Addo Humed and Fatuma Humed, a six-year-old girl, were killed while herding their goats.
These incidents point to a deeply troubling pattern of violence against Afar civilians, particularly women and children. The reported attacks have occurred in different locations across Afar Regional State, by identified groups, targeting people in their homes while they sleep or while they carry out their daily pastoralist activities, including tending their livestock.
The repeated killing of civilians, including young children, demands urgent attention, credible investigations, and accountability. The apparent recurrence of such incidents terrorizing civilians raises serious questions about the effectiveness of existing security measures and the ability of the authorities to protect vulnerable communities.
Equally concerning is the apparent disconnect between repeated reports of deadly attacks and continued official rhetoric about peace initiatives. Peace cannot be meaningful or sustainable while civilians continue to be terrorized, facing recurrent violence and fear, and while serious crimes remain inadequately addressed.
Authorities must move beyond declarations of peace initiatives and take concrete action to protect Afar civilians, investigate these killings impartially, bring those responsible to justice, and prevent further attacks.
Peace initiatives without accountability are not sustainable, as has been demonstrated on several occasions earlier. The protection of civilian lives must be an immediate priority, and the killing of innocent people must never be allowed to become normalized.
