Jigjiga (Cakaaranews) Tuesday 3rd October 2017. Today consultation meeting held at Kaali conference hall in Jijiga. The participants of this meeting were traditional leaders and Somali regional state leaders. This consultation meeting has been discussed generally the current situation of the region and especially the continuous war that Oromo people perpetrating to Ethiopian Somali people. Accordingly, the regional state identified that Somali citizenries paid their lives and assets to the struggle that raided out Derg regime while not changing their name, language, religion and their culture. And also the regional state stated boldly that the Derg regime destroyed Somalis and also now a new version of Derg is emerged.
Meanwhile, the regional state indicated reasons behind this war; first reason behind this war is that Oromo is going forcibly land expansion and creating relationship to neighboring sea ports such as Somaliland and Somalia for importing heavy weapons for federal government destruction which Somali region become the only existing barrier confronted. The second reason is, the level of peace and security self-sufficiency that Somali region reached currently after ending terror groups like Al-Etihad, UBBO, ONAG and the like who just before stationed Eretria and using one boat to import weapons. The third reason is that Ethiopian Somalis opposed Oromo illegal upraising and re-establishing cruel Derg regime and also violating federal system and the supremacy of constitution. This illegal upraising was aimed to collapse current federal government that created peace, justice, equality and development that exist in the country.
Furthermore, the regional state expressed that Oromo feel sorry about the booming socio-economic development that the region implemented within short period of time especially the successes recorded in the infrastructural development such as roads and bridges construction, which made Oromo roads to be used no more in Some Somali woredas. For example Lagahida, Salahad, Qarsadhuule, Filtu and Mayamuluqo woredas were previously lack of roads that connects to the other part of the region but now the regional state built new roads and bridges which concluded the need to use other region’s road.
Moreover, the regional state told that a genocide event similar to Burma Genocide happened at Tulli-Gulled woreda where 8 boys wrapped together, poured fuel, and burned with fire. Like this event also 2 boys traveling at kebele called 147 near Moyale woreda were captured and also burned. The worst massacre is when 8 Somali patients at Yabelo Hospital collected and slaughtered. Once more largest genocide which never happened inside Ethiopia took place at Awadey town where 18 people slaughtered to death, 300 injured and 27 individual are still missing. Simultaneously Oromo regional state didn’t respond that massacre occurred inside their region or they do not send even a condolence message. While Somali regional state, the federal government and human right organizations underlined that this genocide is not concerned border conflict.
The regional state concluded their speeches that “we do not sit behind anybody to our citizenship and we are proud to be Ethiopian Somali and we are ready to fight everyone who wana violate our federalism. The state expressed that they neither need land nor property of other region. They added that they are valuing to live together peacefully with all nation and nationalities of the country in democratic order, as they planned to be the first, second and third prior plan of the Somali region.
Finally, Ethiopian Somali traditional leaders and former state presidents expressed deeply their thoughts and said that “Allah bestowed prosperous land, full of natural resources and larger than 353,000 KM2 which makes it the second largest region of the country. This is why we don’t need land of other region”. The traditional leaders stated their commitment to live together peacefully and brotherly with all Ethiopian people and their respect of national federalism. They added that they understood Oromo administration is pushing Oromo people and militias, also arranging continuous aggressive wars towards Somali people inside Somali region for land expansion but Somali regional state is respecting the national rule of law, supremacy of constitution and as well negotiation decisions that prime minister HE Hailemariam Desalegn stated in keeping peace and stability. And also to respect media rules which fueling the conflict between two regions as well as to stop any act violating national peace and security. They identified that they are expecting the federal government to respond and take suitable action to whoever oppose the negotiation agreement. Therefore, Somali traditional leaders called to federal government that unfair protection given by federal only to Oromo region possible to create a collapse of our federalism and national oath.