Moyale

Flag dispute sparks cross-border flight as Oromia-Somali clashes hit Moyale

Hundreds of Ethiopians, primarily women and children, have fled into Kenya’s Moyale town following armed clashes between security forces from Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states. The violence, which began on Wednesday and intensified on Thursday, was triggered by a dispute over the display of the Somali Regional State flag in an area administered by Oromia. Kenyan authorities and the Red Cross are providing emergency shelter and supplies to approximately 1,000 households, while reports indicate gunfire, injuries, and property destruction in the border town. This conflict is distinct from, yet occurs alongside, the ongoing war in northern Tigray.