What Is the Difference Between the ONLF of Ethiopia and Somalia?

Somali women fighters from the Ogaden region of Ethiopia., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

SOMALIA

Somalia:What Is the Difference Between The ONLF Of Ethiopia, Liyu Police and The ONLF Of Somalia/Raskamboni?

For Somalis Ogaden is one of the Somali clans, Ogaden clan inhabits in South Somalia near the Kenya/Somalia border, and settle on both sides of Somalia/ Kenya border with other Somali clans, they are also one of the many Somali Ethiopian clans in Eastern Ethiopia. Somalis call the Ethiopian Somalis, West Somalis, like they call others North Somalis, East Somalis and South Somalis regardless of clan. Somalis have never known such a country or region called Ogaden until 1984.

In 1984 remnants of Siad Barre military officer who took part in 1977 Ethio/Somai war like the current tribal rebel/ONLF leader, Admiral Mohamed Osman and few so called intellectuals created the so called tribal rebel group of Ogaden/ONLF, Ogaden National Liberation Front, and since then have been waging war against Ethiopia, be it the Mangistu Military regime and against the current Ethiopian Federal Government. Millions of innocent Ogaden civilians have died because of the misguided tribal war perpetrated by former Siad Barre military officer, and have died in vain, because no such a country called Ogaden will ever come into existence, and sooner or later the founders of this tribal narrow minded movement will be held accountable.

And since the ONLF tribal rebel began conducting a gorilla warfare against the Ethiopian military situated in Eastern Ethiopia and the international press began reporting, the name Ogden over shadowed all other peace loving Somali Ethiopian clans. And misleadingly the tribal name Ogaden mistakenly became the name of the Somali Ethiopian region. .

The non Ogaden Somali Ethiopian clans, like Issa, Gurgure , Isaaq, Gadabursi, Abaskuul, Jaarso, Akishe and Hawiye have never supported the misguided tribal war perpetrated by the narrow minded tribal, remnants of Siad Barre and the violence against the Ethiopian People and will never accept their homeland named after a single Somali clan, if the Somali Ethiopians are to be self-determined as the Ethiopian constitutions allows self-determination for Ethiopian ethnic groups when the right time comes.

In 1994 when the current ruling party EPRDF led by the late great Ethiopian leader , Meles Zanawi took over power and overthrew the military dictatorship of Mangistu Hale Mariam. Ethiopia adopted a Federal System which brought equality and self-rule for all Ethiopian ethnic groups, like Oromo, Somali, Amhara, Afar and Tigre.

And since the current ruling party adopted the Federal system and abolished the one ethnic domination of Amhara , most Ethiopian Ethnic groups have been enjoying their self-rule and the fruits of EPRD achievement.

Make no mistake the history of Amhara people is an African pride, the Amahara people, particularly those who had lived in diverse communities or cities like Dire Daw , Addis Ababa, Harar , Nazrate etc. had always been good neighbors, co-workers , schoolmate and trustworthy regardless of the Amhara authorities or rulers, and were always at forefront of any movement against the injustice of the preceded Amhara Authorities. Today the Amahara language become a common African language for f all Ethiopian people from all walks of ethnicity, a legacy left behind by the preceded Amhara rulers like the Europeans had left behind their language for their former colonies.

But it´s unfortunate today that few so called intellectuals or politicians Amharas to advocate for the return of Amhara rule and domination of one ethnic rule/Amhara and to dismantle the Federal System adopted by the current ruling party EPRDF, which is the most suitable system for the Ethiopian ethnic groups to co-exist together and preserve the integrity of Ethiopia.

Federalism is working today for the Ethiopians, after it was implemented by the current ruling party, EPRDF, Ethiopian People?s Revolutionary Democratic Party, led by late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Today in Ethiopia each ethnic group has its own locally elected government or state and have the luxury to practice their own religion, speak, write own languages and preserve their culture and tradition.

Unfortunately the Somali Ethiopian region has fallen into the hands of former ONLF supporters/members like the current Jigiga ruler Abdi Omar/Iley and his cronies, former ONLF rebels and leaders who marginalized other Ethiopian Somali clans. Abdi Omar/Iley convinced former ONLF/Ogaden tribal militia to give up their arm and return to Jigjiga to join the so called Liyu Police to kill, terrorize and displace the non ONLF/Ogaden supporters of Somali Ethiopian clans, like Sheekhaash, Abasguul, Hawiye, Jareer, and Isaaq etc.

Liyu Police have committed atrocities , killing, genocide and rape against the local civilians of the above mentioned Somali Ethiopian clans, simply accusing them for supporting the so called ONLF tribal militia , where these people, non Ogaden clans have never supported ONLF militia , and saw it only as a tribal militia group/Ogaden.

The so called Liyu Police conducts a pre-planed skirmishes among its members around the areas inhabited by non Ogaden clans to accuse them of supporting the so called ONLF tribal rebels so they could get a green light/legitimacy from the Ethiopian Federal Government , to commit atrocities, killing and rape against non Ogaden clans, a similar crimes against humanity that the so called ONLF tribal rebels has been committing against non Ogaden Somali clans of Ethiopia for not supporting the so called ONLF tribal rebels.

Even though the Liyu Police brutality have subsided since the Ethiopia Federal Government have warned Abdi Omar and his clan militia/Liyu Police , the only way to defeat the rebellious tribal militia/ONLF is to allow non Ogaden Somali clans of Ethiopia to arm themselves and protect their territory from ONLF and Liyu Police who have same goal in mind , terrorize and displace non Ogaden Somali Ethiopian clans. Arming non Ogaden Somali Ethiopian clans will isolate the so called ONLF into their remote area, will have no accesses to cross lines of other clans.

Likewise in Kismayo, Somalia few tribalists and narrow minded Ogaden members who happen to be in the current Kenyan cabinet of Uhuru Kenyatta and members of Kenyan parliament and supporters of ONLF of Ethiopia who routinely hold meetings and gatherings for ONLF leaders and its supporters in Kenya, convinced Uhuru Kenyatta/current Kenya prime minister, and his predecessor Kibaki who hail from Kikuyu ethnic group that the Ogaden Kenyans who are supporters of ONLF will cast their vote for KANU party vs ODM party, if KANU helps the ONLF of Somalia/Raskaboni mobilize , train and arm them capture the port city Kismayo, Somalia. The ruling party KANU did mobilize, recruited and trained Ogaden militia from the refugee camps in Kenya , in the name of training Somalia´s Army, most them now Raskamboni Militia under former Islamist Ahmad Madobe.

After KANU, the current ruling party of Uhuru Kenyatta won the election with the help of ONLF supporters in Kenya, KANU fulfilled its promise and helped the ONLF of Somalia/Raskaboni dislodge Al-shabaab from Kismayo . The ONLF of Somalia/Ogaden clan which is a minority in Kismayo and its surroundings, displaced all other non Ogaden clans of Somalia from Kismayo.

Ahmad Madoobe the leader of ONLF of Somalia/Raskamboni which was found by Hassan Turki another Islamist and ONLF supporter, happen to be playing the terrorism card when the displaced non Ogaden clans militia attack his Ogaden militia, by accusing them of being Al-shabaab and its supporters. For the non Ogaden clan militia leaders like Barre Hiirale and others who were at the forefront of fighting Al-shabaab in Lower Jubbas, Somalia have no blame if they side with Al-shabaab to fight their common enemy ONLF of Somalia/Raskamboni.

Few weeks ago Ahmad Madobe, the leader of the ONLF Somalia/Raskamboni was in Jigjiga to meet with Abdi Omar/Iley , founder of Liyu Police. The Liyu Police which was created to fight the ONLF of Ethiopia. And ironically Ahmad Madobe is supported by the ONLF of Ethiopia, for sure visit www.qorhay.com and www.ogden24.com the Ethiopian ONLF websites how they are supportive of the ONLF of Somalia/Raskamboni.

So what´s the difference between the ONLF of Ethiopia, Liyu Police of Jigjiga and the ONLF of Somalia/Raskamboni, nothing but new ONLF/Ogaden clan leaders tactics of misleading the Ethiopian Federal Government, the Kenyan people and playing the Federalism card based on Clan against the Somalia Government, to succeed in creating a clan/Ogaden dominated rule in the Somali Ethiopia Region and Jubba Regions of Somalia and marginalize the non Ogaden clans, in Ethiopia and Somalia.

Mohamud Aden Samatar
samatarapt@gmail.com
Phoenix AZ, USA