Jigjiga, the capital city of Somali Regional State (Photo: Social Media)

Addis Abeba – The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has issued a statement voicing concern over actions taken by Ethiopian authorities in the Somali Regional State, which the group claims violate both “constitutional rights” and “the 2018 peace agreement” between the ONLF and the Ethiopian government.

In a statement released on 18 September, 2024, the ONLF alleges that “Somali elders, women, and other community members have been paraded on television, coerced into humiliating themselves by denying their Somali identity.”

The group also reports “alarming rumors that the name and flag of the Somali State will be changed.”

This statement follows a recent appeal by elders from the Somali Regional State, who called on Somalis to “refrain from involving themselves in a war that does not concern them” and expressed worry over “external forces” potentially destabilizing the region.

According to the ONLF, these developments are unfolding amid increasing tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia.

The organization warns that the situation in the Somali Regional State is becoming “increasingly militarized, with the imposition of martial law looming.”

The statement references Article 39 of the Ethiopian Constitution, which outlines rights to self-determination for nations within Ethiopia. “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 ONLF asserts.

Calling for immediate action, the ONLF urges the Ethiopian government to “respect the constitutional rights of the Somali people and to adhere to the terms of the peace agreement.”

The organization warns that failure to do so “risks further destabilization and jeopardizes the hard-won peace in the region.”

Previously, the ONLF had released a statement “strongly condemning” what it described as “provocative statements” allegedly made by Field Marshal Berhanu Jula, Chief of the General Staff of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF).

The ONLF’s statement refers to a video aired on Ethio-Forum on 08 September, 2024, in which Field Marshal Berhanu allegedly described the ONLF as an “enemy of the Ethiopian state” created by Egypt.

The ONLF characterized these alleged statements as “unfounded” and a “blatant attack on the integrity and legality of the ONLF as a recognized political party.” AS