MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) Almost 40 people were killed in separate raids over last weekend in eastern Ethiopia by the countrys paramilitary known as the Liyu police, while over 40 were injured, local media reported on Monday, citing a representative of the police.
The incidents took place in Eastern Hararghe, the bordering zone between the Ethiopian states of Oromia and Somali, according to the Addis Standard newspaper.
The paramilitary raids were carried out "for reasons we are not clear with yet," Mohammed Aliyi, a local police officer, told the newspaper.
In April, clashes broke out between Gedeos and Oromos - two ethnic groups living on the borders of Gedeo (Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' region) and West Guji (Oromia region). The violence, including killings and village raids, followed a long period of tensions amid the tough situation in the country that has repeatedly suffered from droughts.
According to the International Organization for Migration's estimates of late July, around 970,000 people living in the two zones were forced to leave their homes due to the clashes.
The Ethiopian population is highly diverse, with over 80 ethnic groups officially recognized by the government.
