Hundreds of Ethiopians cross into Kenya to flee regional fighting

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkA man walks at the Bakelo Camp housing thousands of internally displaced Amharas resulting from the conflict in Ethiopia’s Oromia region in Debre Berhan, on October 19, 2026 [File Marco Simoncelli/AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff, AP and ReutersPublished On 22 Oct 202622 Oct 2026Hundreds of Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya, fleeing ⁠⁠fighting in ⁠⁠the border town of Moyale, which was reportedly prompted by loyalists publicly raising the flag of a neighbouring majority-Somali state.Kenyan police said on Thursday that hundreds of Ethiopians, mostly women and children, crossed into Kenya through several entry points in Moyale, including the Sessi, Kore, Biashara, Foundation and Miti areas.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Ethiopia announces instalment of interim government in Tigraylist 2 of 3Can diplomacy resolve longstanding Ethiopia-Eritrea differences?list 3 of 3Tigray resumes daily life amid fears of wider warend of listThe people who crossed the border were fleeing tensions between leaders of Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional states, according to Kenyan police.The police reported gunfire and chaotic scenes in Moyale.Ethiopian media reported that the fighting in Moyale started as a dispute over raising the flag of the Somali Regional State, a regional state in eastern Ethiopia, on Sunday.Tensions escalated into fighting between forces from the Oromia and Somali regions.Gunfire, chaosThe Kenya Red Cross said it was setting up temporary shelter and distributing essential items including cereal and porridge flour.“The response will initially reach 1,000 households,” the Kenya Red Cross said in a statement on Thursday.It added that experts were conducting an assessment to work out how many people were ⁠affected and what their needs were.The regional clash is hundreds of kilometres away from ‌‌a larger conflict in the northern Tigray region between government forces and a rebel alliance led by the Tigray People’s ‌‌Liberation ‌‌Front.