# Ethiopia: 13-Year-Old Girl Killed in Flag Dispute

> Ethiopian flag dispute in Moyale leaves 13-year-old girl dead, transport services blocked.
- Title: Ethiopia: 13-Year-Old Girl Killed in Flag Dispute · Allafrica
- Summary: Ethiopian flag dispute in Moyale leaves 13-year-old girl dead, transport services blocked. A 13-year-old girl died during gunfire between Somali Region…
- Keywords: ethiopia, moyale, somali region, oromia, flag dispute, gunfire, transport disruption, 13-year-old girl, news, world, politics, 13-Year-Old
- Source: Allafrica — https://allafrica.com/stories/202610200685.html
- Published: 2026-10-20T17:22:34+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ethiopia, moyale, somali region, oromia, flag dispute, gunfire, transport disruption, 13-year-old girl, news, world, politics
## Flag dispute in Moyale
A new Somali Region administration office opened in Moyale town on October 18, triggering gunfire between Somali regional forces and Oromia local militias.

> In moyale, human blood has been spilled year after year. Last sunday, when somali regional administration bodies opened a new mayor's office around kebele 02 and hoisted the somali region flag, this act deeply angered many people
## 13-Year-Old Girl Killed
Residents reported a 13-year-old girl died instantly after being shot by Somali Region Police during the exchange of gunfire.

> He alleged that somali region police shot and killed the 13-year-old girl, describing the incident as an act of "cruelty and lawlessness"
## Crossfire Accounts
Somali residents claimed the girl was killed in crossfire between both sides, while Somali Region Police said they shot her after she allegedly threw stones.

> When they attempted to bring office equipment and hoist the flag, oromia region militias opened fire on the somali region police to prevent them from succeeding. The young girl was killed in the middle of this, but somali region security forces did not target or kill that child
## Security Response
Ethiopian National Defense Force intervened to stop the exchange of gunfire after several minutes of shooting.

> Mallicha said gunfire subsequently broke out between oromia militia members and somali region police, prompting the immediate intervention of the ethiopian national defense force (endf), which stopped the exchange
## Body Not Buried
The girl's body had not been buried by Tuesday, with her family still negotiating with authorities for its return.

> Shuraa waariyoo, the girl's uncle, identified her as diqqoo jaataan aagaa and said her body had not been buried as of tuesday
## Transport Disruptions
Protests blocked transport services and forced businesses to close on Monday and Tuesday amid security concerns.

> Following the incident, elders and security officials reportedly agreed on monday to remove the somali region's flag. However, the decision prompted demonstrations by somali resident particularly in kebele 02 on tuesday that disrupted transport services and forced businesses and bus stations to close amid security fears
## Key takeaway

A 13-year-old girl died during gunfire between Somali Region forces and Oromia militias over flag raising in Moyale, Ethiopia, prompting protests and transport disruptions.