Hundreds of Ethiopians flee Moyale fighting into Kenya
Kenyan police say mostly women and children crossed at several entry points after clashes linked to tensions between Oromia and Somali regional leaders.
At a glance
- Kenyan police say hundreds of Ethiopians, mostly women and children, crossed into Kenya at several points in Moyale on Thursday.
- Police said those fleeing cited tensions between leaders of Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regional states and reported gunfire in the town.
- Ethiopian media linked the Moyale fighting to a flag dispute on Sunday; the Kenya Red Cross says its response will initially reach 1,000 households.
Hundreds of Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya to escape fighting in the border town of Moyale, Kenyan police said on Thursday, adding that most of those who made the crossing were women and children.
The arrivals entered through several points in Moyale, according to the police, who named the Sessi, Kore, Biashara, Foundation and Miti areas. Officers also reported gunfire and chaotic scenes in the town.
Kenyan police said the people crossing the border were fleeing tensions between leaders of Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regional states. Moyale sits on the frontier between Ethiopia and Kenya.
Flag dispute reported as trigger
Ethiopian media reported that the fighting in Moyale began as a dispute over the raising of the flag of the Somali Regional State, a regional state in eastern Ethiopia, on Sunday. Those reports said the tensions escalated into fighting between forces from the Oromia and Somali regions.
Red Cross sets up shelter
The Kenya Red Cross said it was setting up temporary shelter and distributing essential items such as cereal and porridge flour. In a statement on Thursday, it said its response would initially reach 1,000 households.
The organisation added that experts were carrying out an assessment to establish how many people were affected and what their needs were.
The clashes in Moyale are taking place hundreds of kilometres away from a larger conflict in the northern Tigray region, where government forces are fighting a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- Why are Ethiopians fleeing Moyale into Kenya?
- Kenyan police said they were fleeing tensions between leaders of Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regional states. Ethiopian media reported the fighting began over the raising of the Somali Regional State flag on Sunday.
- How many Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya from Moyale?
- Kenyan police described the number as hundreds, mostly women and children, who crossed through entry points in Moyale including Sessi, Kore, Biashara, Foundation and Miti.
- What help is being provided to those who crossed the border?
- The Kenya Red Cross said it is setting up temporary shelter and distributing essential items including cereal and porridge flour, with its response initially reaching 1,000 households.
