Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications of recent inter-ethnic fighting in southern Ethiopia for the overall security situation in that country.

The British Government is concerned by recent clashes along the internal border between Somali Regional State and Oromia. We have reinforced the need for all actors to resolve grievances peacefully rather than through violence, and for all security forces to exercise restraint. I welcome the focus placed on this by new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy, including in his visit to Jijiga, capital of Somali Regional State. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.