He warned that inflammatory political rhetoric and ethnic tensions risk worsening a conflict that has displaced more than 40,000 people.

Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali addresses displaced people camping in Moyale town.

Marsabit Governor Mohamud Ali has called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Moyale and neighbouring cross-border areas.

Ali spoke after visiting internally displaced persons (IDPs), condemning the violence and urging the communities involved to embrace dialogue and resolve their grievances peacefully.

“This senseless violence is utterly unacceptable. No grievance, however deeply felt, can justify the loss of innocent lives, the destruction of property or the displacement of communities from their homes,” he said.

Accompanied by a security team led by County Commissioner Stanley Kimondo and humanitarian agencies, the governor said the clashes had disrupted livelihoods, caused immense suffering and forced families to flee their homes.

“I call for an immediate and unconditional cessation of all hostilities, the restoration of peace and normalcy, and the pursuit of dialogue and peaceful resolution of grievances,” he said.

The appeal comes amid renewed insecurity around Moyale, a strategic border town shared by Kenya and Ethiopia, where the fighting has triggered a humanitarian crisis.

Ali expressed concern about the impact on communities on both sides of the border, warning that the violence threatened longstanding relationships built on coexistence, trade and mutual support.

He also condemned remarks attributed to some leaders associated with the communities involved in the conflict, accusing them of using inflammatory language that could heighten ethnic tensions and put civilians at further risk.

“I condemn such utterances in the strongest possible terms. Leaders bear a solemn responsibility to promote peace, exercise restraint and protect human life—not to inflame ethnic tensions, incite bloodshed or deepen divisions between communities,” he said.

He urged the leaders concerned to stop the inflammatory rhetoric, saying their responsibility was to calm tensions rather than fuel violence.

“Leadership must be a voice of reason in moments of crisis, not a force that fuels the flames of conflict,” he added.

The governor appealed to Marsabit residents to remain calm and resist attempts to draw them into retaliatory violence as insecurity continues to affect communities along the border.

He called on elders, religious leaders, elected representatives, young people and other community members to reject incitement, resist provocation and work together to restore stability.

“The communities involved have shared a long history of coexistence, interdependence and mutual support. These enduring bonds must not be sacrificed at the altar of ethnic animosity,” he said.

Ali said the county government was working with humanitarian partners to mobilise emergency assistance for displaced people.

The latest violence comes against a backdrop of longstanding tensions in the borderlands between Ethiopia’s Oromia and Somali regional administrations, where disputes over territorial authority, local administration and community relations have periodically fuelled insecurity.

Two incidents have been cited as possible triggers for the latest escalation: a dispute over the raising of the Somali regional flag in Moyale and the killing of a 13-year-old girl.

The flag incident heightened tensions over administrative authority in the border town, which has links to communities on both sides of the international boundary.

The incidents appear to have compounded existing grievances before armed clashes reportedly intensified on October 22.

The wider conflict is rooted partly in historical disputes over territory, grazing land, water resources and political authority, as well as complex relationships among Oromo and Somali communities, including the Borana and Garre communities.

Families, clan networks, livestock routes and commercial activities extend across the Kenya-Ethiopia border. As a result, violence in one locality can quickly affect neighbouring settlements, disrupt trade and force people to seek safety elsewhere.

The displacement has created a humanitarian challenge beyond the immediate areas of fighting, with host communities facing increased demand for water, food, shelter and other essential services.

The Moyale clashes expose the fragility of peace in the Kenya-Ethiopia borderlands, where historical grievances, territorial disputes and ethnic tensions continue to threaten coexistence. With more than 40,000 people reportedly displaced, the crisis demands urgent security intervention and humanitarian assistance. Governor Mohamud Ali’s appeal for a ceasefire also puts pressure on political leaders to exercise restraint, as inflammatory rhetoric risks escalating violence and undermining efforts to restore stability.