Number of People Fleeing Ethiopia into Kenya Rises to 36,000 as Local Leaders Appeal for Support

The number of people fleeing violence in Ethiopia into neighboring Kenya has risen to 36,000, the United Nations said Tuesday, as fighting near the border town of Moyale continues to displace civilians, mostly women and children. The Kenya Red Cross said the displaced people were sheltering in six camps and villages within host communities. ... The fighting on the Ethiopian side of the border stems from a territorial dispute between the Oromia and Somali regional administrations, aggravated by the killing of a 13-year-old girl in an area administered by the Somali regional administration. ... Local leaders in Kenya’s Marsabit County expressed concern that the influx could overwhelm communities hosting thousands of those fleeing and appealed for support. The violence has raised security concerns on the Kenyan side of the border, with police reporting three incidents involving stray bullets in Moyale last week. AP 'Now Or Never': Ethiopia Influencers Push for Eritrea Invasion Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly said that securing a base on the Red Sea is a vital national objective for Ethiopia, which lost its coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993. Some popular online influencers say the opportunity has arrived. ... Eliyas Kebede, 25, from Addis Ababa, spends hours every day online, posting and creating AI-generated content to support the idea of invading Eritrea, including altered maps that show the Eritrean port of Assab as part of Ethiopia. "I see myself as someone who tries to defend his country's narrative," he told AFP. ... Not everyone agrees with his approach. "You are a warmonger, recklessly paving the way for mass deaths," said one Facebook commenter under an image Eliyas created of a large crowd of Eritreans warmly welcoming the Ethiopian army to Assab. ... Ethiopia has one of the harshest media climates in the world -- ranked 148th out of 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders -- so many young Ethiopians rely heavily on social media for news.

Based on reporting by ACSS-EMAIL