Buildings burned after clashes in Kenya’s Moyale
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kenyans
New clashes between Oromo and Somali communities have erupted in Moyale, on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, after the disputed death of a 13-year-old girl. Several buildings were set on fire and residents were reportedly injured, while shops and schools closed, Kenyans reports.
Clashes broke out on Thursday in Moyale, on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, between members of the Oromo and Somali communities, with several buildings set on fire and injuries feared. The violence began in the Chamuq area after the alleged death of a 13-year-old girl during a dispute linked to the raising of a regional flag, the Kenyan media outlet Kenyans reports.
Shops were set on fire in Moyale and the circumstances of the teenager’s death remain disputed. Some residents accuse local police of shooting her, while others say she died in crossfire. Protests had already broken out on the Ethiopian side, leading to the closure of shops and several schools.
Transport services between Moyale and Addis Ababa and between Moyale and Nairobi were suspended on 19 and 20 October. Security officials and local elders had agreed on 20 October to remove the Somali Region flag from a contested administrative office, but its removal on 21 October sparked counter-protests.
The region regularly experiences deadly violence. Clashes in Moyale in December 2018 left 21 people dead and 61 injured, while about 5,000 people fled to Kenya, according to Kenyans.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
