Fresh fighting has broken out in Moyale, the border town between Kenya and Ethiopia, with reports pointing to clashes between Oromo and Somali communities. The violence came just days after a 13-year-old girl died in a dispute over a regional flag being raised at a government office.
Residents say the fighting started early on Thursday in the Chamuq area. Several people are feared injured, and some buildings were reportedly set on fire. The circumstances of the girl's death are still disputed. Some residents blame the local police for shooting her, while others say she was caught in crossfire. Nobody has yet given a clear account that everyone agrees on.
The protests that followed have hit transport and business hard. Vehicles travelling between Moyale and Addis Ababa, and between Moyale and Nairobi, were reportedly stopped on October 19 and 20. Witnesses also say some shops and several schools in the affected areas were shut as people stayed indoors. The 350-kilometre Nagelle Borana-Moyale road has also reportedly been closed for more than two months because of insecurity, forcing travellers onto longer routes.
Local elders and security officials reportedly agreed on October 20 that the Somali Regional State flag would be taken down from the disputed office. The flag was removed on October 21, but the move angered some residents in Kebele, who held counter-protests.
Moyale has a painful history of this kind of violence. In December 2018, clashes there left 21 people dead and 61 injured, and about 5,000 people crossed into Kenya to escape. Many people in the region now fear the latest fighting could spread to other areas where arguments over land and administration have caused trouble for years.
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