Embassy of Somalia in Addis Ababa: “One thing we can confirm is that the ID is fake and is not the ID of the SNA Forces of Somalia.”
Just five months after the federal government announced resolution in Somali and Oromia regional states boarder conflict, the two regional administrations have found themselves, yet again, in another deadly conflict and very tense political standoff.
It is to be recalled that the two administrations were said to have resolved their differences along the expanse of border territory they share with one another. The settlement was an extension of a referendum which was conducted in 2005 to determine the fate of the communities who live along the border towns of the two regions.
During the agreement, the two leaders’ (Lema Megersa of Oromia and Abdi Mohammed of Somali) displayed a historic gesture of unity where the two regions appeared to have resolved their issues and were said to have reached an agreement to complete the border demarcation process pursuant of the 2005 referendum.
However, this gesture could not last long as the two regions immersed into another round of conflict and severe political confrontation unprecedented in contemporary Ethiopian history.
This time around, the conflict took a bigger scale. It was not like the old small clashed between pastoralist communities in border areas of the two regions.
The two regional governments were also seen accusing one another publicly.
The Oromia Regional State accused the Somali Regional State for the killing and displacing Oromos in the border area and in the region.
In his Facebook page, Addisu Arega, Oromia Regional State Communication Bureau head, has accused the Somali Region’s security forces of beating and killing one former local official and three more individuals. This, according to Addisu, led to the escalation of public uproar in the town of Aweday.
Last week, Addisu has also accused Somali Region for its security apparatus is allegedly employing a member of the National Army of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
In an official email response to The Reporter, Somalia Embassy in Addis Ababa has said that it is following the matter closely and regarding the involvement of its army officer in the conflict it denied the accusation completely.
“One thing we can confirm is that the ID is a fake and that it is not issued by the Somalia National Army,” reads the email.
The Somali Region, on the other hand, accused the Oromia Region of killing Somalis in Aweday.
According to the Somali regional government more than 50 Somalis were killed in Awoday.
This escalation of conflict has then led to the involvement of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces this week along the conflicting flashpoints.
So far, no official information was given by the federal government regarding the number of people who have lost their lives in the recent clash or any confirmation as to the number flying out of both regions.
The federal government, however, said that it is trying to stabilize the tension and trying to help those who are displaced from the two regions.
