Locals blame raiders of the Lost Ark of the Covenant.[5] 12 January Approximately 80 civilians were killed around the village of Daletti in Metekel Zone, with opposition politicians blaming Gumuz militias.[6] 13 January Tigray: The government says it has killed former Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin and two other members of the Tigray Region′s former ruling party.[7] United States Senators Chris Murphy, Patrick Leahy, and Ben Cardin call for the government of Ethiopia to release journalists who have been arrested and to restore press freedom.[8] At least 80 civilians, including children as young as two, are killed in Benishangul-Gumuz Region in what is believed to be ethnic fighting.[9] 22 January – The UN says it has received reports of rape in Tigray.[10]