ESAT News (August 28, 2017)
Three people were reportedly injured after an hour long gun battle today between Somali and Oromo pastoralist communities in Meiso, Harar.
According to a witness who spoke to ESAT on the phone, the fighting has taken place in two localities near the town of Meiso as a result of the going border dispute between the two communities.
There has been an increase in deadly incidents of clashes over the last few months in areas shared by the two communities in eastern Ethiopia resulting the death and displacement of scores of people. The deadly incidents led Canada and U.S. to issue travel advisories to Ethiopia.
Oromo activists and political parties accused that the Somali (Liyou) Special Police forces backed by the regime have perpetrated the killing of hundreds of Oromos and the abduction of women and children as well cattle raiding.
Early this month, the highway connecting Addis Ababa to Jijiga has been closed for a day due to fighting between the two communities.