Africa-Press – Ethiopia. September 16, 2025 3 minutes read Addis Abeba- Residents of Herum locality, in the Dasenech district of the South Omo Zone, Southern Ethiopia Regional State, told Addis Standard that one person was killed and more than 2,000 cattle were looted in an attack allegedly carried out by “attackers from Kenya’s Turkana.”
A local resident, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, said the attack occurred on Saturday, 13 September 2025. The resident explained that herders had taken their cattle to graze in an area called “Irom” when, around 1:00 p.m., “armed individuals from Turkana” attacked, killing one person and taking away more than 2,000 cattle.
The same sources noted that the attackers had also attempted a similar raid last Monday but were repelled by local security forces.
Another resident who spoke with Addis Standard confirmed the attack, stating that the raiders arrived in four groups and carried out the assault at midday on Saturday. He said that Eyma Quanga, a father of four, was shot dead while herding cattle, and more than 2,000 cattle were looted. Three cattle were also killed during the shootout.
The resident further recounted that on the following day, five armed “Turkana youth” returned for another raid but were forced to retreat after an exchange of fire.
He added that some herders were left with no cattle at all and stressed that urgent attention is needed to stop the recurring killings in the area.
When Addis Standard contacted Dasenech district administrator Tadele Hate for comment, he dismissed the incident as “not a community-to-community conflict, but the act of a few individuals.”
The revelation comes a day after Tilahun Kebede, head of the Southern Ethiopia Regional State, met in Turmi town with the Turkana County Governor of Kenya and other senior officials to discuss cross-border issues. Tilahun emphasized the long-standing peaceful people-to-people and trade relations between the two communities and said efforts are underway to ensure that these ties remain constructive and beneficial.
John Munyes, Kenya’s Turkana County special peace envoy, also stressed that while the Dasenech–Turkana corridor is a shared blessing, occasional conflicts undermine the common good of both peoples. He urged firm leadership commitment to resolve the issue.
According to EBC, the meeting was attended by senior officials from the Southern Ethiopia Regional State, members of the Kenyan Parliament, and Turkana County leaders.
In February 2025, at least 13 Ethiopians were killed and two others seriously injured in the Dasenech district in attacks carried out by militants from Kenya’s Turkana County,,” according to residents and government sources.
Similarly, in March, four Ethiopians were killed and three others injured in another cross-border clash at Kukruk kebele. Reports at the time indicated that property was also looted, including six boats, 130 fishing nets, up to 500,000 dried fish, and other belongings.
Following these, a consultation forum aimed at sustainably resolving the recurring security challenges along the Ethiopia–Kenya border was held in Kakuma town, Turkana County, Kenya, in June 2025.
The forum brought together officials from the Government of Southern Ethiopia Regional State on the Ethiopian side, and from Turkana County at the county, zonal, and district levels on the Kenyan side. According to information from Dasenech district, the discussion was intended to consolidate lasting peace in the border areas shared by the two countries, foster healthy cross-border relations among their citizens, and strengthen the social and economic benefits of peaceful coexistence.
In August a symbolic gesture intended to ease recurring cross-border tensions between Ethiopia’s Dasenech and Kenya’s Turkana pastoralist communities this week saw the return of livestock seized during recent recurring clashes.
On 10 August, the Dasenech community returned livestock seized during earlier clashes to the Turkana community in a handover ceremony attended by senior government officials, security forces, and community representatives from both countries. The move followed a series of high-level meetings aimed at “preventing social and economic harm from disputes over shared natural resources,” according to the Dasenech district communication bureau. “Officials urged both sides to strengthen traditional practices of returning lost animals and deepen cross-border cooperation to ensure stability.” The bureau also claimed representatives of the Turkana community welcomed the return, noting the “livestock had even increased in number since their loss.” AS
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