Four people have been shot dead in Hamaresa makeshift camp in the vicinity of Harar where Oromo ethnic group displaced from Somali region have taken refuge. Eleven others have been wounded, the state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation reported this evening. One of those killed was a member of the Oromia police and another a woman refugee. Other sources say the number of dead are higher than it was stated by the station. Jawar Mohammed, executive director of the Oromia Media Network, wrote on his Facebook page eight persons have been killed, citing local sources. The clash started at around midday when local authorities were discussing with the displaced people about their potential return to their homes, for which most of them reacted negatively, saying they didn’t feel safe.
Unrest spilled over to the main street when bands of youths came to the street, set passing vehicles on fire and a factory and the road from the town of Harar and Dire Dawa had been blocked for hours, according to various reports.
Close to one million people have been displaced due to the conflict along the borders of the Oromia and Ethiopian Somali regional states. These displaced people are currently living in 400 locations across Oromia, Somali and Harari Regions, as well as Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa cities. Hamaresa camp is one of the camps, sheltering more than 3,000 people.