URGENT NOTICE:
Federal Power Play in the Somali Region: Escalating Interference and Targeted Repression
A high-level delegation of the Prosperity Party (PP)—including two Deputy Prime Ministers, Head of National Security Redwan Hussein, Federal Police Commissioner General Dambalash, and several Oromia Region officials—are visiting Jigjiga, the Somali Region of Ethiopia.
This top-down visit, orchestrated under the direct watch of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is yet another sign of Ethiopia’s descent into centralized, one-man authoritarianism, where federalism exists only in name, and the Somali Region is treated not as a constitutional entity, but a security problem to be “managed.”
Targeted Arrests: A Dangerous Double Standard:
As part of this ongoing crackdown, at the request of the Oromo Prosperity Party, and enforced by the Oromo-dominated Federal Army, key Somali officials in Moyale and Marmarsa have been arbitrarily detained without formal charges or any adherence to due process:
Abdi Nur – Head of Moyale Woreda
Ali Garow – Head of Moyale Police
Abdi Osman – Head of Moyale Security
Ibrahim Adam Abraar- Head of Marmarsa Local Administration
This was done with no official explanation, no legal procedure, and no engagement with the Somali regional government.
At the same time, Oromia region officials—in the same conflict zones—remain untouched, shielded from accountability and exempt from investigation, even though they share responsibility in the border tensions. This is not governance—it’s ethnic bias enforced by armed power.
Somali Autonomy Undermined from All Sides:
This federal visit comes shortly after Somali regional President Mustafa Omer and his cabinet launched an internal administrative restructuring of zones, woredas, and city councils—a constitutionally valid exercise of self-governance.
But instead of support, this effort was met with:
Media defamation
Political interference from Oromo PP
Rejection of Somali constitutional rights to self-administration
Somali attempts at self-rule are treated as threats, while other regions restructure without interference. This is not federalism—it is domination disguised as order.
What This Moment Represents:
Militarization of regional politics
Criminalization of Somali officials
Selective enforcement of law
Dismantling of constitutional autonomy
Historical Continuity of Subjugation:
From Haile Selassie to Abiy Ahmed, the Somali people have endured:
Ethnic cleansing and forced displacement
Federal military-led expulsions (e.g., West Sitti, Moyale)
Resource extraction without consent (e.g., Ogaden gas fields)
Denial of meaningful federal representation
Total exclusion from national economic priorities
The Prosperity Party is now using both media propaganda and military coercion to silence Somali voices. Officials, elders, and civil servants are criminalized simply for performing their duties.
The Somali People Will Not Be Silenced:
We will soon release a comprehensive political and legal response, including:
A clear outline of Oromo PP’s political encroachment
Documentation of federal violations of Somali autonomy
Legal challenges to unconstitutional arrests and governance
A united call for self-rule, justice, and dignity for Somali people
Federalism Is a Right — Not a Favor:
This is a call to every Ethiopian and every global observer: The Somali people are not a sub-federal population. We are not a security experiment. We are equal partners in the federation—and we will not accept coercion as compromise.
Editorial Note:
HornCurrent.com has verified that the JigjigaOnline Facebook page (link (https://www.facebook.com/share/16uwfhzTqT/?mibextid=wwXIfr)) is personally owned and operated by Somali Region President Mustafe Omar. Despite appearing to represent a collective of Somali scholars, the page is primarily used for government-aligned propaganda and political messaging under the guise of independent academic opinion
