Countries › Ethiopia › May 2026
Ethiopia: conflict events in May 2026
Monthly report from UCDP event data.
In May 2026, UCDP recorded 56 organized-violence events in Ethiopia, with 210 estimated deaths. That is -20% compared with 70 events the month before. The death toll range is 207 to 1,330.
88% of the month's events were state-based armed conflict. Civilian deaths: 67.
Events were concentrated in Amhara state (26), Oromiya state (26), Benishangul-Gumuz state (2).
The most active pairing was Government of Ethiopia - Fano with 26 events.
Where events happened
Regions, May 2026
| Region | Events | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Amhara state | 26 | 114 |
| Oromiya state | 26 | 49 |
| Benishangul-Gumuz state | 2 | 33 |
| Sidama region | 1 | 12 |
| Afar state | 1 | 2 |
Deadliest events, May 2026
| Date | Where | Parties | Est. deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May 2026 | Metekel zone Benishangul-Gumuz state | Government of Ethiopia vs GFNF State-based, 30 civilian, 5 sources | 33 33–38 |
| 14 May 2026 | South Gondar zone Amhara state | Government of Ethiopia vs Fano State-based, 2 sources | 31 |
| 9 May 2026 | South Welo zone Amhara state | Government of Ethiopia vs Fano State-based, 2 sources | 24 |
| 5 May 2026 | Awi zone Amhara state | Fano vs Civilians One-sided, 15 civilian | 15 |
| 28 May 2026 | North Shewa zone Oromiya state | Unidentified armed group vs Civilians One-sided, 12 civilian | 12 |
| 17 May 2026 | Sidama region | Guji vs Sidama Non-state | 12 |
| 26 May 2026 | North Shewa zone Oromiya state | Government of Ethiopia vs Fano State-based, 2 sources | 10 |
| 21 May 2026 | East Welega zone Oromiya state | Government of Ethiopia vs Fano State-based | 10 10–75 |
| 19 May 2026 | North Gondar zone Amhara state | Amhara vs Qimant Non-state | 10 |
| 20 May 2026 | East Gojjam zone Amhara state | Government of Ethiopia vs Fano State-based | 7 |
Parties
| Party | Events |
|---|---|
| Government of Ethiopia | 49 |
| Fano | 27 |
| OLA | 20 |
| GFNF | 2 |
| Unidentified armed group | 2 |
| ALF | 2 |
Type of violence
| Category | Events |
|---|---|
| State-based | 49 |
| Non-state | 2 |
| One-sided | 5 |
All months
Monthly reports:Jul 2026Jun 2026May 2026Apr 2026Mar 2026Feb 2026Jan 2026Dec 2025Nov 2025Oct 2025Sep 2025Aug 2025Jul 2025Jun 2025May 2025Apr 2025Mar 2025Feb 2025Jan 2025Dec 2024Nov 2024Oct 2024Sep 2024Aug 2024Jul 2024
Source: UCDP GED and Candidate Events, CC BY 4.0. Counts use the "best" fatality estimate. See methodology.