JIGJIGA (Halbeeg News) – At least two people have been killed and several others were wounded after Ethiopian federal forces opened fire on protesters in the town of Ayshica in the Siti region of the Somali regional state.
According to locals in the town, the police wanted to disperse the protestors who blocked the road to Djibouti.
With a population of over 115 million people, Ethiopia relies on Djibouti for roughly 95 per cent of its import and export trade.
People were demonstrating against various issues in the Siti region. Among the issues are displaced of Somali origin people from parts of the region.
Locals accused federal Police of forcing some locals from their homes.
Border demarcation issues between the Somali region and Afar, its western neighbour, have deep historical roots.
More recently, they have resulted in frequent eruptions of large-scale violence that lives of many people.
Sitti is a vital artery to export and import goods. The zone, formerly known as Shinile, is located in the northwestern part of the Somali region.
It is bordered to the south by Dire Dawa and Oromia, to the west by the Afar, to the north by Djibouti, and the east by Somaliland.
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