Gambella region in Ethiopia - Courtesy

Calm has returned to Gambella regional capital after rebels attacked the town at dawn, the Ethiopian embassy in Juba has said.

Earlier, residents in Gambella city, the capital of the Gambella region, said offices and businesses were closed due to the intensified fighting that had gone on for four hours.

The regional government says its security forces have regained control of parts of the city from fighters belonging to the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the Gambela Liberation Front.

A statement added that there have been casualties on both sides without providing numbers.

The public diplomacy affairs officer in Juba, Temesgen Teshale, told Eye Radio that the Ethiopian forces are in control of Gambella town.

He told Eye Radio that the situation is calm in the area.

“Yes, of course in some countries there are some anti-peace elements who would try to disturb the security of the people. The area has been under the control of the government. We managed the situation totally,” Teshale told Eye Radio.

“Right now, Gambella City is peaceful and the people are living their normal life,”

“The situation is under the full control of the government forces and the government forces have taken the measures against any disturbance and those who try to disturb the area.”

For its part, authorities in Upper Nile State say the security situation at the border with Ethiopia is calm after heavy fighting was reported in Gambella town between the government there and opposition forces.

This is according to Luk Saad-Allah, the minister of information in Upper Nile State.

He told Eye Radio that the state government is monitoring the situation through the Maiwut County commissioner.

Luk says till this morning the situation was calm on the border of Ethiopia with South Sudan at the checkpoints of Upper Nile state.

The minister of information in Upper Nile State told Eye Radio that the security situation on the border of South Sudan and Ethiopia in Maiwut County is calm.

“The situation in Gambella is ok and nothing bad with them according to what we heard from there,” Luk Saad-Allah told Eye Radio on Tuesday in Juba.

“We are following the situation with the commissioner of Maiwut about the border if someone is crossing the border to South Sudan, because we have our refugees in Gambella region,

“We are following to know more about the situation and hope to hear some good news about our people there.”

Today early morning, heavy fighting was reported in Gambella town between the government and opposition forces of the Gambella Liberation front and Oromo rebels under the leadership of Ato Gatluak Buom Pal.

According to a media report, the Gambella Liberation front claims the attack on the state capital but denies targeting civilians.

Fighting breaks out in Gambella at around 6:00 AM and residents in Gambella City say The GLF and OLF rebels are advancing into town.

Some people report that the rebels and government forces are fighting around Parliament building.