Ethiopian parliament urges swift measures to resolve ethnic dispute

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- A report presented to the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives (HPR) on Thursday urged the Ethiopian government to take swift measures to end the impact imposed by recent ethnic clashes on civilians.

The report, which was compiled by a 13-member special committee formed by the Ethiopian parliament, probed the impact of the deadliest dispute along the border of two of Ethiopia's largest regional states, Oromia and Ethiopian Somali regions.

According to the report, some members of the displaced civilians are not receiving adequate humanitarian support.

Delay in the provision of humanitarian support from the Ethiopian government side has been also indicated as another challenge in the report.

Clashes in three districts of the disputed area along the border of the two ethnic groups, Oromos and Ethiopian Somalis, on mid December have killed 63 people, according to the Ethiopian Police Commission.

The report further indicated that hundreds of thousands of urban residents, pastoralists and rural farmers are currently in camps as a result of the ethnic dispute.

The special committee, among other things, investigated the condition of displaced civilians and the provision of humanitarian support. Accordingly, the committee urged that swift measures are needed so as to end the impact of conflict and address the basic needs of people who are currently in camps.

According to the report, even though indications of the dispute were witnessed almost a year ago in some parts of the area, lack of effective measures and responses has exacerbated toward the current crisis.

The committee, pleading further humanitarian support for the displaced people, also acknowledged the ongoing support provided by the Ethiopian government. Enditem