(SomaliNet) At least four people have been killed and eight others were wounded in renewed clan fighting between militias in environs near villages of Laba-Bar and Bar-Magog in the Somali’s self-autonomous province of eastern Ethiopia bordering with Somalia, also known as ‘Ogaden region’.
The latest fighting broke out in the rural areas around the two villages when militias loyal to Hawadle and Ujejen clan of Haweiye tribe clashed in gun battle causing human casualty on both sides. The tension between the rival sides of pastorals has intensified as efforts to prevent more bloodshed failed when traditional elders from Beledweine city, Somalia had been arrested by the Ethiopian forces an the border town of FerFer last week.
Meanwhile, around 20 clan elders have been released from the Ethiopian jail after they had been held in FerFer as they were heading to the warring clans to end the conflict through negotiation. It is not yet clear what initially caused their arrest but some reports say that the Ethiopian government accused the Somali clan elders of being responsible for the clan fighting and saw then as non-peace makers. The release of the traditional men came when authorities of Hiran province bordering with Ethiopia reached FerFer and succeeded to convince the Ethiopians to give the elders their freedom back.