The Ethiopian Embassy in Riyadh said in a statement distributed to Ethiopian media that it was closely monitoring the bloody clashes that broke out in desert areas in Saudi Arabia between hundreds of Ethiopian migrants who had entered the country irregularly.

The embassy said it had opened a special investigation and was in contact with the Saudi police.

Ethiopian activists said the clashes took place between two groups, one known as Arsi Oromo and the other as Wello Oromo, with each group accusing the other of violating agreed rules designed to prevent the discovery of safe smuggling routes into Saudi Arabia and their safe places of residence in the Saudi deserts.