By Journalist Getiye Yalew
MOYALE, Ethiopia — Clashes between armed forces affiliated with the Oromia and Somali regional administrations continue to disrupt life in the border town of Moyale, killing civilians and forcing thousands of people to flee into Kenya, according to the account provided.
The fighting pits Oromia regional forces associated with Shimelis Abdisa, head of Oromia regional state against Somali regional forces associated with Mustafa Mohammed, head of Somalia regional state. The dispute erupts after officials raise competing territorial claims when someone hoists the Somali regional administration’s flag in one of the town’s kebeles.
The clashes kill combatants on both sides as well as civilians caught in the crossfire.
A 13-year-old girl from the Oromo community dies during the fighting. Members of the Somali community then conduct her burial. According to the account, the girl’s parents ask the community to hand over her body, but those who bury her refuse, saying: “She is our child. We have given her a name according to our customs and traditions, mourned her, and buried her.”
The territorial dispute and identity-based tensions also force thousands of residents to flee across the border into Marsabit, Kenya, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society. The organization says it provides emergency humanitarian assistance to displaced people.
Heavy weapons deployed in several buildings across Moyale intensify the fighting and bring normal civilian activities to a complete halt. The clashes also disrupt travel from Moyale to Hawassa and Addis Ababa.
Meanwhile, the territorial dispute between Oromo and Somali political cadres spreads beyond Moyale and fuels tensions in Dire Dawa, according to the account.
