ADDIS ABABA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Command Post, established to enforce the recently decreed state of emergency, said Saturday that efforts are underway to repatriate Ethiopians who have fled to Kenya from Ethiopia's Moyale district.
Between 7,000 and 8,000 Ethiopians have fled Moyale to neighboring Kenya "fearing for their safety," state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) reported on Saturday by quoting Assefa Abyou, Commissioner General of the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission.
"The government of Ethiopia is undertaking various activities to bring them back home," Abyou told local media on Saturday.
The mass exodus occurred after a March 10 incident when an army unit mistakenly opened fire on civilians, killing nine and injuring 12 others. The troops were deployed around Moyale city along Ethiopia's border with Kenya to intercept outlawed Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) fighters.
The command post after the incident launched investigations and disarmed some members of the army force, who were put under arrest pending investigations.
The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said Friday that it has received about 9,667 Ethiopian asylum seekers in northern border town of Moyale since the incident.
The KRCS also indicated that the much-needed humanitarian support is being provided.
Moyale city, located in Ethiopia's Oromia regional state along the border with Kenya, has been in a state of unrest since mid 2016.
Similar recent unrest and violence have forced the Ethiopian government to impose a six-month martial law effective as of Feb. 16, saying it was to protect the country's constitution, citizens and their property.