The number of Djiboutian who left the country days after the unrest in Dire Dawa city –450 km east of Addis Ababa – has reached over 2,000, The Reporter has learnt.
According to sources from Djibouti Council Office in Dire Dawa, the number of people who are demanding to leave the city in fear of more unrest is increasing from time to time.
This humanitarian and political crisis comes after an unrest that left six Djiboutian individuals dead and 15 more sustaining injuries.
Among those who are killed, three are kids from the same family who died after their house was attacked and caught fire.
“We are now in the process of transferring Djiboutian to Djibouti,” said source from Djibouti Consul Office. In the earlier days of the unrest alone, 1,700 people were transferred to Djibouti, said the same source.
Most of the deaths were said to occur when unidentified group of individuals began to attack houses and torching some of them.
The violence in the city began on the weekend of August 2, 2018 after a meeting was held in Dire Dawa. The meeting included hundreds of Somali communities, scholars, elders, former officials of Ethio-Somali region critical of the former president Abdi Mohammed Oumer and his administration.
The city, however, rocked by the violence finally called for the intervention of the National Army as well as the federal police.
These two forces, equipped with heavy machine guns are now patrolling the city, according to residents of the city.
In related news, over the week, the long serving president of Ethio-Somali region has resigned from his position. In the same turn of events, similar unrests occurred in Jigjiga which claimed the lives of many.
Following the violence, the federal government deployed the army to the region.
In relation to this, a social media platform by the name of Cakaaranews.com administered by Ethio-Somali Regional States government reported that President Abdi and his aides went to Addis Ababa to meet officials in the federal government.
The platform also said that, though former president Abdi is believed to be in Addis Ababa, but the region is not aware of the current whereabouts of the former president.
Furthermore, it also indicated that there is an interest and a pressure from the federal government to appoint Ahmed Shide, minister for Government Communication Affairs Office.
The Reporter’s repeated efforts to reach Ahmed Shide bore no fruit. The Minister failed to respond to our repeated calls and SMS enquiries over the matter.
