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ETHIOPIA: Daawaley residents regain freedom

June 23, 2012 · 3087614 Comments2012-06-23+20%3A32%3A37goth+Mohamed

Sultan Hirsi Qani thanks President Omar

JIGJIGA — Abdi Mohamed Omar (“Abdi Iley”), the president of Somali Regional State of Ethiopia this week released 43 men as part of negotiations with members of the Isaaq tribe.

The freed men were part of a 50 detainees picked up by Ethiopian government-backed paramilitary force during tribal clashes at the end of last year in the Daawaley district.

Tribal feuds have been running high for the past eight months in the region between Isaaq and the Ogaden and Abdi Iley, also an Ogaden, has been accused of taking sides using Ethiopian government resources.

In the same operations, the Liyu police under the direct command of Abdi Iley executed ten men belonging to the Arab subclan of Isaaq.

Releases have come amid efforts to end the war through negotiations between Abdi Iley and Sultan Mohammed Hersi Qani, one of the tribal chiefs of the Arab clan.

On Friday, Sultan Qani broke the news during a press briefing saying he agreed an agreement with Mr. Iley after several months of deliberations.

“We met for four hours almost on daily basis recently, and I can now confirm that the people would be released tomorrow,” he told local press.

He went on to say: “I thank the President of the area for having extended the good gesture from the sake of peaceful stability amongst local residents”.

The men were convicted harshly in a Jigjiga court for periods ranging from 15 to 25 years. Some were sentenced to life in prisons without parole in what was largely seen as tramped up charges. None of the Ogaden tribesmen who were involved in the violence faced any legal preceding.

Similar clashes occurred in the village of Raqda in Gashaamo district that claimed over twenty lives, barely four months after the Daawaley incident.

The Ethiopian government which had since released the Gashaamo culprits got a tough tongue lashing from the international human rights commission last month. Human Rights Watch revealed in its May report that the force summarily executed men belonging to the Isaaq clan while also carrying out widespread practices of torture, looting, rape and arbitrary executions.

“The Liyu police abuses in Somali region show the urgent need for the Ethiopian government to rein in this lawless force,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

The Liyu force operating with immunity has shown a deplorable lack of regard for human rights doing as it wishes under its ‘anti-terror’ agenda. Without Addis Ababa’s awareness, Abdi Iley has managed to hijack the force for his own tribal agenda which could destabilize the entire Somali regional state.

Human Right Watch Report

By MA Egge

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By goth Mohamed

Tags: Arab, Ethiopia, Isaaq, Liyu Police, Ogaden

mohamed cheers says:

Good move. At last the justices bastions are opening their doors and working as it should be
working. Those bedouin nomadic settlements of the peninsular known as the disputed Haud
reserved zones of Somaliland-Ethiopia borders of the Somali-Ethiopian 5th province, carrying
Somaliland indigenous nationality and annexed to Ethiopia in 1954? by the then the Colonial
HMG UK Govt. These Haud reserved indigenous settlements should be properly cared for and
jointly protected by the good bilateral relations between the two neighbourly Govts of Somaliland
and Ethiopia as well as the Somali rulers of the Somali-Ethiopian 5th Province as well as the
IC/UN.It's also urged that the divided 5 star Somalis in the Horn of Africa should show better
co-ordinated multilateral tasking good services to all the Somalis within their different jurisdictions
to show easy co-existence of the greater Somalia whereever they might be. I think all Somali
leaders have to work together to ease the burdens of the Somali Civilians and their livelihoods
wellbeings.
Cheers.

4:08 pm on June 23, 2012

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M. Ali says:

A significant success for Somaliland peace process criteria of engaging thorough clan elders to resolve local conflicts . Perhaps Somalia should learn a lesson from this peaceful achievement by SLD elders who have a gone the extra mile to region 5 of Ethiopia for peace. http://www.medeshivalley.com/

6:51 pm on June 23, 2012

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Kayse says:

Omar Ilay knows the ICC is coming for him for his criminal activities and human right abuses in Somali state of Ethiopia. Omar commits more crimes than Omar al Bashir and he should be apprehended as soon as possible.

All his abuses against the Ogaden, Issaak, Gadabursi, Shiikhaal and Essa are well documented and known. He burnt the entire Raaso town to displace the Sheikhaal tribe, he killed more than 30 Isaaqis in summary killings. He executed Gadabursis in Abdiqadir town, all document and files are available and the International community should not ignore this chemical Ali of the Horn.

7:39 pm on June 23, 2012

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- PuntlandGeezer says:
  
  Somali state of Ethiopia????
  
  11:40 pm on June 23, 2012
  
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- Jabuutawi says:
  
  Don't lie. He does NOT come after !ssa. He very well knows that will be the end of him. Who do you suppose lives in Somali-Galbeed in large numbers? He is a criminal that needs to be apprehended but come on now tell the whole truth. You claim to know more about Somali-Galbeed but in reality you only know anecdotal news about the region. We go there every summer and follow everything about in my neck of the woods. I can't speak for the entire Somali-Galbeed region but I know what goes on in my hood. This guy will piss in his pants if he starts trouble with us.
  
  1:10 am on June 24, 2012
  
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  - Kayse says:
    
    Most Somalis are on denial to the reality on the ground. The Isaaqis thought they were friends of the Tigray man in Addis but he proved them wrong. Now they think Ogadens are after them when in reality its actually led by Isaaq man such as Ina Dool who is Eedagale of the Yoniis subclan, I have personally traveled with his convey and saw him abuse people.
    
    The Issa, Gadabursi, Ogadens, Isaaq and Shiikhaal are all under attack. I will get the letters the Essa leaders wrote to Meles Sanawi for you.
    
    Omar is known tribalist, when he went to addis ababa university last year to deliver a lecture, he asked the Somali students there if any of them were Shiikhaal…in another incident, two majerteens were applying for Ethiopian passports in Jigjiga and he told them to get lost because Ethiopian passports were only his people. Basically he said he hates the Isaaq, Hartis and Essa and Samaroon because "one day they here and next they cross the border"…I will find the full files for you brother.
    
    While I find the documents by your elders I recommend you read: http://diredawanews.com/2011/03/22/the-impression…
    
    Omar ilay's game:
    
    "The rebel ogaden believed that the region solely for ogaden clan and claim other
    ISSA belong to djbouti, ISAK to Somaliland and majartan to puntland and so son for other clans ."
    
    This is well known fact and Omar always says "marna way so socdan marna way si socdan" basically the Essa travel to Djibouti-Ethiopia as they wish, Isaak Somaliland-Ethiopia and Majerteen Puntland-Ethiopia.
    
    This is why he introduced the strict measures such as the contraband measure on everything.
    
    1:54 am on June 24, 2012
    
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    - Kayse says:
      
      This is a letter written by member of the Essa community in Diredawa, which sheds some light into some of the issues. The elders also wrote letters to Meles in English which I read myself.
      
      Waxa aan galnay wakhti adag oo xaasaasi ah waxaanan idinka war galinayna in aan abaabul wayn ku jirno sidii loo soo afjari lahaa dulmiga iyo cadaalad daro uu ku hayo Cabdi Iilay bulshada gobolka Shiniile.
      
      Waxa aan walaalayaal idiin sheegaynaa inaan ku talo jirno sidii duqayda Ciisaha iyo Ugaas Mustafe ay u tagi lahaayeen Xafiiska Rayisalwasaaraha Itoobiya si ay Cabashada Beesha Ciise u gudoonsiiyaan dowlada federalka gaar ahaan raysal wasaaraha dalka Zenawi.
      
      Sidaa daraadeed waxaan walaalayaal idinka codsanaynaa hadii aad tihiin qurba joogta beesha Ciise ee ku nool daafaha dunida inaad maalmaha soo socda aad qoraalo ku saabsan cabashada Beesha Ciise ugudbisaan Safaaradaha Itoobiya iyo xafiiska rayisalwasaaraha Itoobiya(prime minister office)waad mahadsantihii.
      
      You can all be on denial but the Habashi government is busy on an ethnic cleansing campaign where one tribe is armed against the other.
      
      The samaroons also raised similar issue…all online…
      
      2:06 am on June 24, 2012
      
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      - Jabuutawi says:
        
        This is only happening with the tacit approval of the federal government. This impotent guy can not lift a finger without first checking with the office of the Prime Minister. Cadaalad la'an qabil walba wuu ku dhaqma and is part and parcel of Somali culture but when the rubber hits the road, Ilay is ineffectual in Shiniile zone.
        
        2:41 am on June 24, 2012
    - Jabuutawi says:
      
      They (you know who I am talking about) will never take all of Somali-Galbeed to themselves. Look, the guy you call obese, IOG, by the way I am no fan of him, will never tolerate this guy run amok at least in our area. Not only he but many of us feel the same way. The story is a bit stale but the Afar have no intestinal fortitude to confront anyone now. In fact, the other side of Awash river is now !ssa land and have renamed all the villages and small towns with Somali names. They are deep in Yangudi Rassa National Park. This guy can claim the "presidency" but he is a toothless tiger in our area. Also, for up-to-date census about the region check out Ethiopia's Central Statistical Agency. The author of the link you provided grossly underestimated the number of !ssa in the region. They can't claim to be the majority.
      
      2:23 am on June 24, 2012
      
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      - Kayse says:
        
        On an honest note, I have nothing against IOG, in fact he did change the face of Djibouti for better but corruption remains high. I had this impression that Djibouti was fully developed nation because I used to see that Al Nur city on youtube until I was met with nothing but heat in Djibouti.
        
        I also had this impression that Hargeisa was dead, its shanty town with too many qat addicts, again I was wrong.
        
        However I did not see any government in Hargeisa and I did not see any substantial development in Djibouti apart from the elite areas such as the government area.
        
        IOG is peaceful man I have no reason to hate him.
        
        5:46 am on June 24, 2012
Daacad says:

CLARIFICATION:::: Mr. Qani is not one of the tribal chiefs of the Arab clan, but one of the cheifs of the HabarYonis clan.

12:59 am on June 24, 2012

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khaatumo citizen says:

issaaks only dont live in howd district but also dhuloz remember buuhodle is in the border between Ethipia and somalia.

omar illay is the best thing happen to somali region in ethiopia (ogadenia) he treats each and everyone equal… somali inay walanyihiin why running to the Trigray dude in Adis when they can easily go to jigjiga…

Omar illey also welcomed the G10 of khatuumo state into zone 5 as if the region is thiers give them everything including some of his liyuu police.

9:13 am on June 24, 2012

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Ahmed says:

His majesty, the great Sultan, Hirsi Qani IIV, demonastrates his skills and power to influence by using deplomacy to craete harmony and relief injustice in the horn of Africa. May the sun shine on his face and the rain fall softly on his grazing fields. Aameen

3:59 pm on June 24, 2012

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Weerar says:

Suldan Hersi Qani did a great job for his cousins Arab Sheikh Isaxaaq. The feud where between the ogaden and Arab Isaaq and not between Arab the regional administration. That is where the tip of balance comes from when liyu police sided with the ogadens and captured and arrested number of Arab warriors crossing the border as reinforcement for the fight. long live Suldan Hersi Qani.

12:03 am on June 25, 2012

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