Hundreds of Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya to flee fighting in the border town of Moyale, Kenyan police said on Thursday. Police said most of those crossing were women and children, who entered through several points in the town.
The fighting was reportedly prompted by loyalists publicly raising the flag of a neighbouring majority-Somali state. Ethiopian media reported that the dispute began on Sunday over the flag of the Somali Regional State in eastern Ethiopia, and escalated into clashes between forces from the Oromia and Somali regions.
Gunfire and chaotic scenes reported in Moyale
Kenyan police said the people crossing were fleeing tensions between leaders of Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states. They reported gunfire and chaotic scenes in Moyale. Those crossing used entry points including:
- Sessi
- Kore
- Biashara
- Foundation
- Miti areas
Kenya Red Cross sets up temporary shelter
The Kenya Red Cross said it was setting up temporary shelter and distributing essential items, including cereal and porridge flour. In a statement on Thursday, it said: “The response will initially reach 1,000 households.”
The agency added that experts were assessing how many people had been affected and what their needs were.
Clash distant from wider Tigray conflict
The regional clash is hundreds of kilometres away from a larger conflict in the northern Tigray region, which pits government forces against a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
