Violence in southern Ethiopia forces more than 800,000 people to flee

NAIROBI – Violence in southern Ethiopia since June has forced more than 800,000 people to flee their homes and they need food and other aid, according to a UN and UN report. Government Wednesday

. It broke out in April about 400 km south of the capital and flee over 1.2 million people, according to a report that gave no details about the victims.

"Renewal of violence in the border areas of Gedeo and areas of West Guji since the beginning of June … led to the displacement of more than 642,152 internally displaced persons in the Gedeo area … and 176,098 displaced people in the western Guji area of ​​the Oromia region.The report says:

Traditional leaders encouraged the return of people to their homes after the initial fighting in April, but many fled again in June, according to the report

"The security situation has been difficult despite the deployment of the Ethiopian Defense Forces in the region, with reports of continued destruction of homes, other property and service infrastructure. "

Ethiopia is an ethnically diverse country of 100 million people and ethnic discontent fueled the demonstrations that led to the resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in February

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has took office in April and pledged political and economic reforms to address the claims of marginalization by a number of ethnic groups, including his own group, the Oromos, Reuters said more than 200 people were killed in last month, but the figure was an estimate because a lack of security made confirmation impossible 19659002] Fighting is one of many ethnic conflicts fueled by land claims in Ethiopia, the second largest country in the world. Africa by the population

Last year, dozens of people died in the Somali and Orom ethnic groups o Hundreds of thousands have fled their homes and have yet to return.

The ruling Ethiopian coalition took power in 1991 and created regional states based on ethnicity in a federal republic.

Reuters