Ethnic clashes through Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regions have led to the displacement of more than 50,000 people. Conflict between the Oromo and Somali people has been simmering for years, with unrest building to severe clashes in 2015 and 2016 that left 669 people dead.
The most recent episode resulted in the death of over 50 people and displacement of thousands more. The government responded to the violence by sending military forces in.
Oromiya’s provincial president, Lema Megersa, spoke of the gravity of the situation yesterday. “It is not just deaths that occurred,” he stressed. “More than 50,000 people were displaced from their homes. Those responsible should also be held to account.”
Both regions maintain the other is responsible.