Incident Summary:

11/01/2020: Assailants abducted civilians in Gawa Qanga, Guliso, Oromia, Ethiopia. The hostages were moved to a schoolyard where they were shot and killed. Eleven people were killed in this attack and an unknown number of people injured. This was one of three related attacks in the area on this date. Additionally, the assailants looted properties and burned down buildings in the area. No group claimed responsibility for the attack; however, sources attributed the attack to the Oromo Liberation Front and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF).

GTD ID:
202011010017

When:
2020-11-01

Country:
Ethiopia

Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Oromia

City:
Gawa Qanga

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Hostage Taking (Kidnapping)
Type of Attack (more) Facility/Infrastructure Attack
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property
Name of Entity Not Applicable
Specific Description Amhara Civilians
Nationality of Target Ethiopia
Additional Information
Hostages Yes
Number of Hostages Unknown
US Hostages 0
Outcome Hostage(s) killed (not during rescue attempt)
Ransom No
Property Damage Yes
Extent of Property Damage Minor (likely < $1 million)
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Firearms Unknown Gun Type
Incendiary Arson/Fire
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?Yes
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Additional Information Casualty numbers conflict across sources. Following GTD protocol, the majority reliable estimates are reported here. Casualty numbers represent a division of the total number of those killed across incidents 202011010017, 202011010020, and 202011010021.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Group Sub-name Claimed Responsibility
Oromo Liberation Front OLF-Shene; Oromo Liberation Army No
Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators 60
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 11 Fatalities
Total Number of Fatalities 11
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured Unknown
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
"Ethiopia: Gunmen kill at least 32 people in Oromia state," BBC, November 2, 2020.
"Roundup: At least 32 civilians killed in armed attack in western Ethiopia: rights group," Xinhua General News Service, November 3, 2020.
"At least 54 killed in school field massacre in Ethiopia, says Amnesty," Sky News, November 2, 2020.