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Oromo–Somali clashes
Part of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa and Ethiopian civil conflict (2018–present)
Date 14 December 2016 – 6 August 2018 (1 year, 7 months, 3 weeks and 2 days) Location Border between Oromia and Somali regional states Result Abdi Illey arrested
Belligerents
Ethiopia Oromia	Somali
Commanders and leaders
Lemma Megersa Shimelis Abdisa	Abdi Illey (POW)
Casualties and losses
500+ killed in total

The Oromo–Somali clashes flared up in December 2016 following territorial disputes between Oromia region and Somali region's Government in Ethiopia. Hundreds of people were killed and more than 1.5 million people fled their homes. The conflict ended in 2018.

Background

Ethiopia has a federal political arrangement structured along ethno-linguistic lines. The Oromia Region is the largest and most populous state in the country and primarily consists of those of the Oromo ethnic group, the largest ethnic group in the country. Meanwhile, the Somali Region is the second largest state by area in the country and primarily consists of those of the Somali ethnic group.

This conflict is often viewed as an unfair conflict as the Somali Liyu police force, which was founded in 2009, and was receiving aid from the ruling government of Ethiopia the TPLF against pastoralist Oromos inhabiting their homeland in the Somali Region. Somalis and Oromos clashed over Oromo lands. Even though there was evidence that Somalis under Abdi Iley abused human rights, the ruling government failed to do anything, even during Oromo protest in 2015-2016. Somali president and head of Somali Liyu police was arrested after the Tigray regime came to a end in 2018.

In 2004, a referendum to decide on the fate of more than 420 Kebeles, the country's smallest administrative unit, saw 80% go to Oromia, leading to Somali minorities fleeing those areas. The Jarso population who resided in the region and have been under huge pressure and persecution by the Somali administration of the Somali Region, voted greatly to join the Oromo Region.

Since April 2007 a major counterinsurgency campaign was started to suppress the low-level insurgents of the Ogaden National Liberation Front. The Liyu police was established specifically for this campaign in the Somali Region. Human Right Watch reports evidence of Liyu police incursions in the Oromia Region. This led the Liyu police to become involved in the Oromia-Somali border clashes.

Course of the conflict

2004

in February 22 Somali forcers along with unknown ethnic groups (probably the Tigray) had burned 103 Oromo huts injured 31 Oromos, and killed 18 Oromos. In December 2004 Armed Somali-Ethiopian forces had displaced almost 800 Oromos in the Erer town.

2009

Clashes between the Boorana people and the Gheri, a Somali clan, occurred in early 2009 in the area of Moyale. On February 5, 2009, up to 300 people were killed. Directly following the clash people fled the area.

2016

The exacerbation of the conflict in 2016 is speculated to be caused from competition arisen from a prolonged drought. From December 2016 at the border of the Oromia and Somali regions, the Oromia and Somali communities territorial tension boiled, notably near the town of Deka, leaving at least 30 people dead and more than 50,000 displaced. The Oromo claim that the area is their ancestral land and that the Somali families had been brought in from Ethiopian Somali regional. The situation escalated when the two communities’ clansmen started revenge attacks. according to a Oromo man from Kebri Beyah the clashes had escalated into discrimination namely in the Somali region as no one would go to Oromo stores visit Oromos or even have any contact with them. These was followed by the displacement of 50,000 Oromos in the capital Jijiga which has a population of 125,000.The clashes involved heavily armed men on both sides in locations all along the border. Schools were looted and civil servants were shot in their offices. Residents on the both sides also reported widespread rapes. In February and March, hundreds were reported to have been killed in the southern Oromia district of Negele Borana, after an incursion by a paramilitary force called the Liyu police, which was backed by the ruling federal government, more than 100 people died and thousands were displaced in February and March in the Negele area. Oromo activists have claimed much higher numbers.

2017

On 20 April 2017 the Oromia and Somali states of Ethiopia have signed an agreement to peacefully solve disputes. The agreement was brokered by the federal government of Ethiopia. Both regional states agreed to enforce the results of the referendum of 2005. It was recognised further administrative decisions needed to be taken on a further 157 Kebeles on the border between both regions. In spite of this agreement clashes erupted in September 2017, killing hundreds of the Oromo ethnicity and some on Somali side.

The regional special police of both states, called the Liyu in the Somali region and the Liyu Hail of Oromia state, have been accused of being behind many of the atrocities.

2018

In May 2018, four people were killed and 200 houses burned in clashes. Both Somali and Oromo militias were behind the attacks.

In July 2018, Oromo militias killed 50 Somalis.

In September 2018, 58 people were killed in ethnic clashes. Following the clashes on the weekend of 15–16 September protests against ethnic clashes begun in Addis Ababa.

In December 2018, 21 Oromo people were killed and 61 were wounded in by Somali militias, heavy artillery was used. Five thousand civilians fled to Kenya. Somali militias were also responsible for killing 9 people in the city of Moyale, a city on the Ethiopian and Kenyan border.

Casualties

Displaced people

Up to 400,000 were displaced by the fighting as of November 2017. Mr Adisu said the clashes had displaced many people, some of whom have taken refuge in makeshift camps at a stadium in the eastern city of Harar, whilst others are camping at police stations. Drought, and floods caused additional displacements bringing the overall number of displaced people to a total of nearly 1,1 million.

See also

• Sudanese nomadic conflicts
• Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria

References

1. {{C=[mllkite web|title=Dozens killed in clashes in Ethiopia's Oromia region|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/18/dozens-killed-in-ethnic-clashes-in-ethiopias-oromia%7Cdate=18 December 2017|website=AlJazeera.com}}
2. Dahir, Abdi Latif (19 December 2017). "Violence is tearing apart two of Ethiopia's largest ethnic communities". Quartz.
3. "Ethiopia police arrest ex-Somali region president Abdi Illey". AfricaNews. 27 August 2018.
4. "UCDP - Uppsala Conflict Data Program". ucdp.uu.se. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
5. ^ "At least 32 killed in Ethiopia's Oromia, Somali Regions". Horn Diplomat. 14 September 2017.
6. Schemm, Paul (21 October 2017). "'They started to burn our houses': Ethnic strife in Ethiopia threatens a key U.S. ally". The Washington Post.
7. "Ethiopia: Oromia – Somali Conflict-Induced Displacement - Situation Report No. 4". ReliefWeb. 20 June 2018.
8. ^ "Ethiopia: Investigate police conduct after deaths of five people protesting ethnic clashes". www.amnesty.org. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
9. ^ "Ethiopia Regions, Cities, and Population". www.ethiovisit.com. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
10. ^ United States Department of State (2006). Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2005: Report Submitted to the Committee on International Relations, U.S. House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. U.S. Government Printing Office.
11. ^ Human Rights Watch (5 February 2019). World Report 2019: Events of 2018. Seven Stories Press. ISBN 978-1-60980-885-3.
12. ^ "What is behind clashes in Ethiopia's Oromia and Somali regions?". BBC News. 18 September 2017.
13. "Ethiopia: No Justice in Somali Region Killings". Human Rights Watch. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
14. "Thousands flee Ethiopia clashes". BBC News. 26 February 2009.
15. ^ "Ethnic violence displaces hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians". The New Humanitarian. 8 November 2017.
16. "Relative calm returns after deadly clash between Oromo and Somali communities in Ethiopia". goobjoog.com. 17 January 2017.
17. "Dire prospects for Ethiopian displaced". Deutsche Welle. 5 December 2017.
18. Gardner, Tom (16 May 2017). "Uneasy peace and simmering conflict: the Ethiopian town where three flags fly". The Guardian.
19. "Oromia, Somali states agree to peacefully solve border dispute". Ethiopian Embassy in Belgium. 21 April 2017.
20. "'Hundreds' dead in Ethiopia ethnic clashes " Capital News". 26 September 2017.
21. "Ethiopia's Regional Tensions Spill Over, Leaving at Least 18 Dead". VOA. 13 September 2017.
22. Shaban, Abdur Rahman Alfa (13 August 2018). "Ethiopia's Liyu police blamed for deadly attacks in Oromia region". Africa News (in Somali). Archived from the original on 13 August 2018.
23. "Four People killed, Over 200 Houses Torched in Renewed Somali-Oromo Clashes". Halbeeg News. 27 May 2018.
24. "Oromo militias killed 50 Somalis; displaced hundreds as tit for tat violence spiraled out of control in Moyale". OPride.com. 31 July 2018.
25. "Ethnic violence in southern Ethiopia kills 21, wounds 61 - state news". Reuters. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
26. ^ "700,000 people flee conflict to seek safety in Somali region of Ethiopia". NRC. 20 November 2018.
27. "Ethiopia — National Displacement Dashboard 12 (July — August 2018)". dtm.iom.int. Retrieved 24 December 2021.

v t e Ethiopian civil conflict (2018–present)
Background	Ethnic discrimination 2014 Addis Ababa Master Plan 2015 Ethiopian uprising 2014–2016 Oromo protests
Conflicts by region	Afar Afar–Somali clashes Galikoma massacre Amhara 2019 coup attempt 2021 Ataye clashes 2022 North Shewa clashes Persecution of Amhara people War in Amhara Drone strikes Finote Selam Merawi massacre 2024 Amhara offensive Spillover Benishangul-Gumuz Benishangul-Gumuz conflict Oromia Oromo conflict OLA insurgency Somali Region Oromia–Somali clashes SNNPR Gedeo–Guji clashes Ethnic violence in Konso Ethnic violence against Amaro Koore Tigray Tigray war Spillover War crimes template
Peace processes	Tigray peace agreement
Armed groups	Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front Amhara Fano Benishangul People's Liberation Movement Ethiopian National Defense Force Oromo Liberation Army Sidama National Liberation Front Tigray Tigray People's Liberation Front Tigray Defence Forces United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces Foreign forces Sudanese Armed Forces Eritrean Defence Forces
Human rights organisations	Government EHRC Grassroots EHRCO ERCS Seb Hidri Yikono
Related	Al-Fashaga conflict 2022 al-Shabaab invasion of Ethiopia Internment camps in Ethiopia
Category

• Conflicts in 2016
• Conflicts in 2017
• Conflicts in 2018
• Ethiopian civil conflict (2018–present)
• 2016 in Ethiopia
• 2017 in Ethiopia
• 2018 in Ethiopia
• History of Oromia
• Riots and civil disorder in Ethiopia
• History of the Somali Region (Ethiopia)