According to media reports focusing on Ethiopia, recently, an armed force of unknown origin from South Sudan entered the Lare district in Gambella Region of southwestern Ethiopia. The invading force has penetrated 30 kilometers into Ethiopian territory. Insiders said that the Ethiopian police carrying out security tasks in this area were unable to resist the military operations of the regular army and retreated. Dozens of police officers were injured during this period, and an important leader of Ethiopia in this area was seriously injured in the conflict and sent to the hospital.
In many parts of Ethiopia, either it is in a state similar to an emergency or it is an underdeveloped area. Due to security reasons, major news agencies do not have local offices, so they cannot obtain first - hand information from various places in a timely manner and rely extremely on local insiders for relevant information. The Ethiopian government has not provided more information on this incident yet. Insiders pointed out that the invaders are a mechanized military force of South Sudan. All kinds of signs indicate that this is a force loyal to Riek Machar, the vice - president of South Sudan. Machar is the leader of the South Sudanese opposition. Previously, the opposition and the government formed a coalition government, and Machar entered the government as vice - president. A month ago, he and his wife were placed under house arrest by President Salva Kiir.
Riek Machar, the vice - president of South Sudan, is from the Nuer ethnic group. He has the support of the Nuer Youth Militia to resist the oppression of President Salva Kiir of the Dinka ethnic group. Ethiopia has played a positive role in the independence of South Sudan. Some Sudanese people can't believe that the Nuer people have no reason to attack the Nuer people on the other side of the border. Ethiopia is a multi - ethnic region. The ethnic minorities in various regions often have kinship with people in the adjacent regions of neighboring countries. Many African countries are in a similar situation, such as the regional war between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda before. Another version is that the conflict occurred on a bridge near the border, not in Lare itself. After the South Sudanese National Defense Army was defeated in Nasir, Salva Kiir asked the Ugandan People's Defence Force to join and eliminate the Nuer militia. Some of the Nuer militia fled to Gambella to hide. They were chased into Ethiopia, so there was a conflict with the Ethiopian police and administrative agencies there. But no matter which side's news it is, it shows that South Sudanese soldiers are involved in the incident inside Ethiopian territory.
Sources said that these South Sudanese soldiers have controlled a small area. A picture on the Internet shows that soldiers in South Sudanese military uniforms are lowering the Ethiopian flag and raising the South Sudanese flag. In the past few years, Ethiopia and South Sudan have reached a number of bilateral agreements, including infrastructure construction agreements. However, cross - border security incidents often occur, such as cattle rustling. It is reported that after the Ethiopian Federal Police Force withdrew from this area, the National Defense Forces did not station in this area. The Ethiopian government has not commented on the sudden incident in the Gambella region.
South Sudanese government officials quickly responded to this news. The country's leader categorically denied the invasion. He told the media that he assured everyone that the people of South Sudan would never do anything to harm Ethiopia.
