Ethiopia: Clashes between militias of 2 Somali and Afar Ethiopian States kill 27 people amid border dispute
Clashes between two Ethiopian states that have long disputed their border have killed at least 27 people, a government statement said, as the country faces surging ethnic violence.
The 27 were killed “due to conflicts along the borders of Somali and Afar”, the statement said. Militias from the two eastern states have clashed before over their disputed boundaries.
Ali Bedel, a spokesman for the Somali region, confirmed the killings and blamed militants in Afar.
“Local militia from Afar were behind the killings,” he told Reuters.
A spokesman for the Afar region did not respond to a Reuters call for comment.