Ethiopia’s latest displacement is in the southern regional town of Yirgalem, a town that was hit by deadly unrest related to the autonomy push by the Sidama people.
An official said over 450 people were sheltering in a church having fled their homes for fear of attacks.
Sidama is located in Ethiopia’s multi-ethnic Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ region, SNNPR. The displaced are said to have fled into a district in the neighbouring Oromio Regional State.
An Oromia security official confirmed that most of the people had fled because of ethnic-based targeting. A state of emergency was imposed on SNNPR following the clashes that claimed over 20 lives.
