ONLF Condemns Recent Violations in the Somali State (Ogaden) and Demands Immediate Action from the Ethiopian Government.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is deeply concerned about the recent developments unfolding in the Somali State (Ogaden), where the rights and dignity of the Somali people continue to be undermined. For nearly three-quarters of a century, the Somali State has been plagued by conflict, human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Successive Ethiopian governments, since the state’s formation, have employed illegal and brutal methods to suppress the Somali people’s rightful demands for genuine self-determination, dignity, development, and peaceful living. The Somali people have been marginalized, treated as third-class citizens, and subjected to harsh military rule, which has fueled continuous resistance and wars of liberation.
In 1991, following the fall of the Derg regime, a new constitution was enacted, granting all nations under Ethiopian rule, including the Somali people, full rights of self- determination as enshrined in Article 39 of the Ethiopian Constitution. The formation of the Somali State under this constitutional framework recognized the Somali people’s rights to their identity, language, religion, and self-rule, along with broad political, economic, and human rights guaranteed to all other nations within Ethiopia.
Despite these constitutional assurances, the Somali people have suffered egregious violations, some of the worst since the time of Menelik’s rule. Following a long and bloody struggle, a new regime came to power, offering hope for peace and respect for the rule of law. Although peace has remained elusive in many parts of Ethiopia, the peace agreement signed between ONLF and the Ethiopian government in 2018 brought a measure of stability to the Somali State, despite ongoing challenges and transgressions. A key provision of this agreement was that ONLF would pursue its political objectives peacefully, with the assurance that the Ethiopian government would fully respect the constitution.
Recently, however, concerning actions have been taken by the Ethiopian state apparatus in the Somali State, particularly in light of the emerging conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia. These actions represent clear violations of Article 39 of the Ethiopian Constitution and undermine the peace agreement.
1. Somali elders, women, and other community members have been paraded on television, coerced into humiliating themselves by denying their Somali identity and claiming they are not Somalis.
2. There are alarming rumors that the name and flag of the Somali State will be changed, erasing any semblance of Somali identity.
3. The state is increasingly militarized, with the imposition of martial law looming, which threatens to further diminish the already weakened self-rule of the Somali State.
ONLF strongly condemns these practices and calls on the Ethiopian government to immediately cease these actions, which are in direct violation of both the Ethiopian Constitution and the peace agreement with ONLF. The Ethiopian state must uphold the principle of equality for all its citizens, with no single group monopolizing power at the expense of others. The Somali people in the Somali State should not be victimized as a result of the conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia.
We urge the Ethiopian government to respect the constitutional rights of the Somali people and to adhere to the terms of the peace agreement. Failure to do so risks further destabilization and jeopardizes the hard-won peace in the region.
