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13 die in inter-ethnic clashes in southern Ethiopia: official

ADDIS ABABA, July 28 (Xinhua) — Thirteen people were killed in fresh inter-ethnic clashes between the Gujji clan of the Oromo ethnic group and the Koore group in southern Ethiopia, a local official said.

In addition to 13 dead, scores of people were injured and an unspecified number of houses were set alight, southern regional state communications office Chief Solomon Hailu told the state owned Ethiopian News Agency on Friday.

The situation has calmed down, with a taskforce identifying the cause of violence and suspects accused of participating in the deadly clashes, he said.

The two agricultural communities, Koore and Gujji, sometimes clash over grazing land and adjoining areas, where both communities have a claim to.

Hailu added that local authorities are undertaking reconstruction efforts in devastated areas and arresting individuals suspected to be masterminds of the violence.

Source: Xinhua

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