Over 900 People Flee Violence in Southern Ethiopia

ADDIS ABEBA – At least 900 people have fled their home fearing violence in Sidama zone of Ethiopia’s southern region, says UN humanitarian agency on Monday.

The agency said the displaced are “non-Sidamas” and are currently in Bore Woreda of Guji zone in Oromia region.

They are currently sheltered in churches, mosques and host communities in Bore town – a town located 10km away from Ulla Woreda of Sidama Zone.

Tilahun Tafesse, who is head of security in Bore in neighboring Oromia state, told the BBC last week that those displaced alleged they were targeted because of their ethnicity.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the situation was particularly worse in Ulla, Chorne, and Bona Woredas of which share borders with Guji zone of Oromia region.

As of 23 July 2019, it has witnessed about 481 displaced people were registered in Bore Woreda, of which 457 live within Bore Saint Mary Church while 24 are in Bore mosques.

About 50 children and 30 aged peoples are among them, said the UN humanitarian agency in its biweekly bulletin.

At least 25 were killed in clashes between Sidama protesters and security forces, as well as unrests over a delayed referendum on whether a separate federal state of Sidama should be created

Following the violence, soldiers and federal police have been deployed to the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region to oversee security.