ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Communal violence in Dire Dawa city, located in eastern Ethiopia, over the weekend has left one person dead, the city's police commission said on Monday.
In a press statement, Dire Dawa city administration police commission, said communal clashes over the weekend resulted in the death of one person by stabbing, injuries to several other persons.
"Local and federal security forces have been deployed in the area to prevent a recurrence of the weekend deadly communal violence," said the statement.
Dire Dawa city police commission cautioned residents to avoid spreading fake news disseminated from social media pages that inflame communal tensions and urged residents to protect the peace and calm of their surroundings.
An eyewitness told Xinhua the weekend clashes involved members of ethnic Somali and ethnic Oromo communities. The eyewitness said the city has been scene of sporadic clashes between members from the two ethnic groups for several months, reportedly over land ownership issues.
Ethnic Somalis and Ethnic Oromos both claim ownership of the city which lies strategically on the Ethiopia-Djibouti highway.
