At least 9 killed in clashes in Ethopia, driving more than 2,000 to flee to Kenya

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Deadly fighting between ethnic communities in southern Ethiopia has driven more than 2,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring Kenya, with at least nine deaths reported as violence continued, officials said Friday.

Stanley Kamande, the commissioner for Kenya’s Marsabit County, told reporters that thousands of Ethiopians had crossed the border into the town of Moyale after armed confrontations erupted on the Ethiopian side of the frontier on Wednesday.

Reports from Ethiopia indicated that at least nine people had died and dozens were wounded during the fighting. The casualty figures have not been independently verified.

The violence involves ethnic Oromo and Somali communities following tensions about the display of the Somali Regional State flag in an area administered by Ethiopia's Oromia region. Both are federal regions of Ethiopia, as distinct from the country of Somalia, which borders both Ethiopia and Kenya.

A woman in Moyale was also reportedly injured by a bullet fired from across the border and received medical treatment.

- Kenya mobilizes humanitarian assistance

The Kenya Red Cross said Thursday it was providing emergency assistance to displaced families, initially targeting 1,000 households.

It said it was working with government authorities to provide temporary shelter, food, clean water, and other essential supplies.

Moyale, a major crossing between the two East African countries, lies 780 kilometers (485 miles) north of Nairobi, Kenya's capital, and 775 kilometers (482 miles) south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.

The unrest has raised concerns about further displacement and disruption of cross-border trade.

Andrew Wasike