Hundreds of Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya after fighting and gunfire erupted in the border town of Moyale, forcing families to flee amid rising tensions between Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states.
Kenyan police said the arrivals began on Wednesday, October 21, with women, children and young people making up most of those crossing into Kenya. The displaced people entered through several points in Moyale, including Sessi, Kore, Biashara, Foundation and Miti.
Gunfire was heard on the Ethiopian side from about 5:50 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, according to a Kenyan police security report. The source of the bullets was not immediately established.
A woman was shot in the neck and taken to a private hospital in Moyale, where the bullet was removed. She was reported to be in stable condition. A bullet also struck a metal bar supporting a tent at the local police station, causing a ricochet that hit an officer on the head. The officer was not injured. Another bullet shattered a hotel window.
The clashes are linked to escalating tensions between leaders of Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states. Reports from Ethiopian media indicated that a dispute over raising the Somali Regional State flag in Moyale contributed to the confrontation, although the precise sequence of events and responsibility for the violence remained unclear. Officials in the affected Ethiopian areas were not immediately available for comment.
The Kenya Red Cross has begun organising emergency assistance for the arrivals, including temporary shelter and distributions of cereal and porridge flour. The organisation said its initial response was planned to reach 1,000 households while teams assessed the number of displaced people and their most urgent needs.
Local officials said many of the arrivals were staying with relatives and other host families in villages on the Kenyan side of Moyale. However, humanitarian workers warned that suitable accommodation and other support would be needed as the situation developed.
The violence adds to Ethiopia’s wider security challenges, including renewed fighting in the northern Tigray region. The clashes around Moyale are separate from the Tigray conflict, occurring in the south of Ethiopia’s Oromia region near the border with Kenya.
The situation remained fluid, with gunfire continuing to be reported from parts of the Ethiopian side of the border. Kenyan authorities and humanitarian organisations were monitoring the arrivals and preparing further assistance as displaced families sought safety.
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