September 14, 2017
Press Release
We, the Ethiopian Somali Democratic Council, urges the international community to look into the atrocity that is going on in Somali Region of Ethiopia. The Oromo and Somalis in those regions live peacefully for century; however, the current distorted policy of Somali and Oromo Regional states backed by EPRDF is enticing conflict among these people.
These days, there is a mix message beaming from Mogadishu. The arrested person Abdikarim aka Galbi Daghax and handed over to Ethiopia has been said that he was born in Somalia and being soldier in the Somali army for many years. Then, he joined ONLF. Simply he is Ogadeni clan unlike the majority of other Somali clans that are neutralized and isolated under the leadership of Somali Region official in Somali Region. It is very important to note that after Somali state collapsed, many soldiers and high official of Ogadeni clan under the dictator Siyyad Barre crossed the border to Somali region and claimed that they are from Ethiopia. A case in point is the chairman of ONLF Admiral Osman who was working under Siyaad Barre until his last days. Then, they formed ONLF in 1984.
In other words, ONLF is set up in 1984 after Siyyad Barre destroyed and dismantled WSLF, the only genuine liberation front that was struggling to have regional autonomy. The best eighty commanders of WSLF had been massacred; simply they opposed his misguided policies to acquire Ethiopia land. WSLF has been fighting to bring justice and rule of law in Ethiopia at the time. Siyyad Barre has used airplane and tanks to invade Somali Region so that he would extrapolate his weakness and political crisis at home to exploit the notion of ” Greater Somalia”.
Currently, the rogue regime of Eritrea is the one that is behind the hatred propaganda among Ethiopian as they support and fund all rebels. As we all know that the Hutu and Tutsi massacre was orchestrated by Le Soliel Radio that bit one ethnic group against the others. This hatred propaganda had claimed the lives of 800, 000 people.
Ethiopian Media outlets are giving ONLF and other rebel’s forums to propagate their distorted information that guided with secessionist propaganda while they have ignored the Ethiopia Somalis who are fighting for justice, democracy and rule of law. Ethiopia Somali Democratic Council is in the belief that the Ethiopian territorial integrity is not in question; on the other hand, justice, rule of law and democracy are the key core issues that have to be championed to see an Ethiopia where all people live peacefully.
Today, many Oromo leaders in Diaspora are not differentiating the majority of non Ogadeni Somalis in Somali region who have nothing to do with Liyu Police soldiers, formed exclusively by one and only one clan Ogadeni. These liyu police soldiers were part and parcel of ONLF.
The current regional state in Somali Region has been using these soldiers to maim and kill innocent other non Ogadeni Somali clan and EPRDF was closing its eyes so that they can stay in Power.
We, the rest of Somali non Ogadeni clan, are appealing to all peace loving Ethiopian that we have nothing to do with Liyu Police moron soldiers and not fighting to dismantle Ethiopia and on the contrary struggling to see an Ethiopia where rule law, democracy and human rights prevail.
Ethiopian Somali Democratic Council shall live