At least 90 killed in Somali-Afar clashes in Ethiopia

by: Staff Reporter | 07 April 2021 15:14

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At least 90 killed in Somali-Afar clashes in Ethiopia

JIGJIGA (HORN OBSERVER) - More than ninety people including women and children have been killed and dozens injured in deadly clashes along the border between Somali and Afar regional states clashes, officials confirmed.

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JIGJIGA (HORN OBSERVER) - More than ninety people including women and children have been killed and dozens injured in deadly clashes along the border between Somali and Afar regional states clashes, officials confirmed.
Abdo Heloe, a spokesman for Somali region accused Afar security forces of killing over a dozen civilians in Somali region, saying the cross-border attacks by Afar culminated in full blown clashes in the region.

"The latest upsurge in violence started Friday when Afar special police officers attacked civilian Somali pastoralists for unknown reasons,” Abdo told AFP. "So far more than 25 civilians have been killed and more than 30 injured in the unprovoked attack. The attack is still continuing.”

Dismissing having initiated the attacks, Humed, deputy police commissioner for the Afar region told Reuters by phone that around 100 civilians were killed since clashes broke out last week and continued through Tuesday,

"The Somali region special forces … attacked the areas of Haruk and Gewane using heavy weapons including machinegun and rocket-propelled grenades. Children and women were killed while they were sleeping,” Ahmed said.

Ethiopian federal government has not yet commented on the renewal of clashes.

The development comes barely two weeks after Somali Regional State protested against the country's National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE)'s move to suspend voters' registration process in 30 polling stations in eight villages.

In a letter addressed to NEBE, the state presidency said it would find it difficult to participate in the upcoming elections without the resumption of the voters’ registration process in the villages.

Somali and Afar states in Ethiopia had a long-protracted dispute over a boundary which several times culminated in armed confrontation.

The two state have been trading accusations over the cross-border attacks that claimed lives of hundreds of people from both sides.

Late 2020, Jigjiga authorities accused Afar region of attacking villages in Somali region where over ten people including soldiers were killed.

The villages reportedly attacked were Helei Kebele, Afdem Woreda.

In 2014, the federal government redrew the boundary between the two states and transferred three small towns to Afar that Somali has since wanted back but in 2019, Somali authorities turned down the implementation the transfer of three villages to Afar region.