Armed clashes between forces from Ethiopia's Somali and Oromia regional states continued in the border town of Moyale for a ninth day. Residents gave the account to Addis Standard, as reported by The Eastleigh Voice. The number of casualties is unknown. Residents said thousands have fled their homes. Many crossed into Kenya, while others went to the nearby towns of Yabelo, Mega, Bokku and Dubuluk.
The fighting broke out on October 18. It began with a dispute over the hoisting of a regional flag and the killing of a 13-year-old girl. It then grew into sustained armed confrontations between the two regional forces.
Residents describe a town at a standstill. One resident said his family had fled to the Kenyan side of Moyale. He said there had been no electricity since the fighting began. Bajajs and motorcycles have stopped running, and telecommunications are often cut. Schools have closed. Grade 12 students preparing for university entrance exams have been displaced, and some have reportedly joined the fighting.
Another resident, Abdi Waqo, said the fighting had intensified over the past three days. It now runs into the night, with both sides firing until midnight. He said the clashes increasingly involve heavy weapons rather than small arms. Long-distance transport between Addis Ababa and Moyale has stopped. According to Abdi, the fare from Moyale to Yabelo has risen from around 500 birr to between 3,000 and 3,500 birr.
A security official, speaking to Addis Standard on condition of anonymity, said peace talks had collapsed three days earlier. The talks involved officials of the Oromia and Somali regional administrations. The official said disagreements over the flag and territorial claims stopped them from progressing. Residents on the Oromia side want the town governed only under the Oromia regional flag.
A community elder recalled similar clashes in 2018, when thousands were displaced and hundreds reportedly died on both sides. He said the government must find a lasting solution for Moyale "based on law and historical facts". The EastAfrican described the dispute as a 30-year conflict with no solution in sight.