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The Ethiopian federal government has sacked the president of the Somali regional state according to reports in the regional administrative capital Jigjiga.
The ouster of Abdi Mohamud Omar comes on the heels of growing local, regional and international accusations of widespread abuses in the region.
Mr Omar has been accused of torturing, killing and the disappearance of hundreds of Somali civilians in the restive region in eastern Ethiopia.
He is said to have been using the notorious and often lawless paramilitary Liyu Police and until recently no evidence of the abuses has reached the outside world. The Liyu police operate in the same manner as Sudan’s janjaweed militia who are said to be responsible for much of Darfur’s unrest.
Swedish Television released last month video evidence smuggled out of Ethiopia documenting and revealing gruesome human disaster of staggering proportions. Many villages in the Dagahbur district were leveled to the ground during 2010 operations.
This year the Liyu police also carried out summary detentions and execution of civilians in Gashaamo, Harshin and Baligubadle towns. Human right groups said, more than 50 civilians have been executed by the group led by Mr Omar.
The international court of justice has not so far issued a warrant for his arrest for his roles to known and well documented abuses despite new evidences.
According to reports in the region, the Ethiopian government equally plans to scrap up the Liyu Police militia and replace them with the regular federal army.
The exact motives behind the sacking of the Somali State premier is not clear but he was recently summed up to Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian government fears the growing anger over Abdi’s rule and his militia might further fuel reprisals and help create new armed groups in the conflict-ridden region. Since his appointment the conflict spread into new regions that was relatively stable prier to his appointment two years ago.
This is some what a damage control for the government under its new leadership. No one has been appointed so far but his deputy, Abdifatah Mohamud Hassan is the acting state regional president.
All the leaders of the region has been ousted by Addis Ababa even before completing their terms unlike the other federal states in Ethiopia.
The latest effort to bring the government and the rebel ONLF group to a round table collapsed last week in the Kenyan capital. The Ogaden group accused Addis Ababa of blocking negotiations by urging them to accept the Ethiopian federal constitution as precondition for further mediation.
Bordering Somalia and Somaliland, the Somali regional state is one of nine federal states in Ethiopia and is mainly inhabited by ethnic Somalis.
The footage below shows Abdi Mohamud Omar visiting villages where hundreds have gone missing just hours before and after his visit. People who spoke against his crimes have disappeared all together and relatives of the missing civilians have urged the international community to arrest Mr Omar. They say they deserve justices and their voice should be listened to like the people of Libya, Syria and South Sudan who for many years lived under repressive regimes.
Somalilandpress
Comments (46)
Unlike what most of you think the guy is not sacked. He will be working in other positions in the federal government and he might even come back with more power to region 5 lool just saying. That is how things work. People are sacked rarely and if that happens you probably will end up in jail. But getting less important positions is common when deemed in effective.
Ina iley was a major strategical miscalculation the only way to get ride of the ONLF is to heavily arm those who do not have membership in the ONLF.
Arming members of the Ogadeen to irradicate the ONLF was a stupid strategy since members of the LIYU police were also speis for the ONLF. These two groups have achieved only decay in the peace of the region. They have polarised the regions Somali communities to rise up and seek alternatives to secure their own settlements.
LIYU police was the most useless strategically flawed solution ever devised to remove ONLF. The members of the two groups are CLAN relatives and will only MILK the Federation for funds and weapons till they attempt to launch attacks on the Capital.
In future the PRESIDENT must always be a different CLAN to the LIYU police cheif and members. This will ensure there is a balanced system of self regulation LOYAL to central government.
Arming members of the Ogadeen to irradicate the ONLF was a stupid strategy since members of the LIYU police were also speis for the ONLF. These two groups have achieved only decay in the peace of the region. They have polarised the regions Somali communities to rise up and seek alternatives to secure their own settlements.
LIYU police was the most useless strategically flawed solution ever devised to remove ONLF. The members of the two groups are CLAN relatives and will only MILK the Federation for funds and weapons till they attempt to launch attacks on the Capital.
In future the PRESIDENT must always be a different CLAN to the LIYU police cheif and members. This will ensure there is a balanced system of self regulation LOYAL to central government.
abdi illey changed the somali culture more than any body, he made the somali people to warship melez rathar than to love their country, every body in jigjiga is still crying for melez what a joke, i have never seen somali people like this before and this is beacuse they fear abdi illey. there is only one tv allowed in jigjiga and thats like military channel always talking about liyuu police and their progress. even those somalis from jigjiga in the west are brainwashed beacuse of this probaganda many onlf supporters switched to illey side last 2 years. i support no onlf nor illey but i believe in that its good for the somali region to be part of ethiopia peacefully . why i hate illey is he may be somali but inside he is not he does not respect the somali culture values and dignity .
A year ago, his Ethiopian masters gave him the chance to brain wash Somali students studying in Addis Ababa university. Instead of speaking to them about the state's affair, he asked the students; "Is any of you Sheikhaal (one of the Somali tribes in the region)?"......students were shocked and no one answered him. He then made threats against them and their elders, few weeks later the Liyu police burnt down their Raaso town and displaced everyone.
Another time, a Somali from the Bosasso/Garowe region went to Jigjiga to apply for Ethiopian passport, he told him "these passports are only for reer Isaaq, go back to Somalia or wherever"...he did the same with Isse, Gadabursi, Isaaqis...
Trust me the Somalis prefer the Ethiopian forces over these nomads with guns. I know this because I am from that region.
The Ethiopian forces are more civil and sensible and trust me I do not like any of them but it is the fact. I even saw it myself, one time this elder was traveling with us, the Liyu police beat him up for talking over some thug and then their Tigray master intervened and gave the old man some water and first aid and apologized to him.
Most Liyu police are combination of three things; camel herders, street kids and ex-ONLF who were under Salehdin Abdulrahaman Maow, they joined Abdi Iley and their reer Isaaq Liyu militant group in 2010.
Abdi iley must not allowed to get away for the crimes against humanity. Hundreds of families want justice. Prisons in Jigjiga are over filled with elders, women and even children. I know this because I know people who managed to escape from underground prisons built by the Soviets and the Dereg Junta (Red Terror) of Mengistu Haile Mariam.
Another time, a Somali from the Bosasso/Garowe region went to Jigjiga to apply for Ethiopian passport, he told him "these passports are only for reer Isaaq, go back to Somalia or wherever"...he did the same with Isse, Gadabursi, Isaaqis...
Trust me the Somalis prefer the Ethiopian forces over these nomads with guns. I know this because I am from that region.
The Ethiopian forces are more civil and sensible and trust me I do not like any of them but it is the fact. I even saw it myself, one time this elder was traveling with us, the Liyu police beat him up for talking over some thug and then their Tigray master intervened and gave the old man some water and first aid and apologized to him.
Most Liyu police are combination of three things; camel herders, street kids and ex-ONLF who were under Salehdin Abdulrahaman Maow, they joined Abdi Iley and their reer Isaaq Liyu militant group in 2010.
Abdi iley must not allowed to get away for the crimes against humanity. Hundreds of families want justice. Prisons in Jigjiga are over filled with elders, women and even children. I know this because I know people who managed to escape from underground prisons built by the Soviets and the Dereg Junta (Red Terror) of Mengistu Haile Mariam.
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