ETHIOPIA’S government has mobilised its armed forces in a bid to quell growing violence and unrest in the Oromia region, where police and civilians have been killed.

Troops have been sent to the border between Oromia and the Benishangul Gumuz regional states in western Ethiopia where attacks have escalated.

The decision was made following requests from the two regions to ensure the safety of citizens and enforce the law. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the federal forces were deployed on the advice of the National Security Council.

Last week the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP), which governs the region, said the group responsible for the violence was turning the region into a “bastion of chaos.”

Oromia regional state president Lemma Megerssa vowed to work with Mr Abiy to bring the perpetrators to justice and bring stability to the region.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced and more than 100 people, including 11 police officers, have been killed in the conflict that started more than two months ago.

Oromia regional government spokesman Addisu Arega Kitessa said that more than 200 arrests have been made linked to the incidents.

According to a United Nations report published today, Ethiopia has more new conflict-driven internally displaced persons (IDPs) than any other country in the world — more than 1.4 million in 2018 alone.

Of the approximately 2.8 million IDPs in Ethiopia, more than 2.2 million are displaced due to conflict. The remaining 500,000-plus have been driven from their homes by climatic shocks, including drought- and flood-induced food insecurity.

The report said that 8 million people in Ethiopia, including the IDPs, require humanitarian assistance.