Wednesday May 28, 2025

FILE – Somali Region President Mustafe Muhumed Omar (Cagjar) addresses journalists during a press conference in Jigjiga

JIGJIGA, Ethiopia (HOL) — Mustafa Mohamed Omar, commonly known as Mustafa Cagjar, President of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, has refuted allegations that his administration orchestrated a division within the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). These claims were made by a faction of the ONLF, which accuses the regional government of facilitating a split in the organization.

In an interview with BBC Somali, President Cagjar dismissed the accusations, stating that his government has not exerted any pressure on the ONLF. He emphasized that no ONLF members are currently imprisoned, nor have any of the group’s offices been shut down.

“There is no individual or office from the ONLF that has been closed. There was an incident where tensions arose over an alleged killing during a meeting, leading to a postponement. Police intervened, and while some individuals were briefly detained, nothing beyond that occurred,” Cagjar explained.

The allegations stem from Abdikarim Sheikh Mahdi (Maaday), who leads an exiled ONLF faction and claims to be the party’s rightful chairman. Maaday accused Cagjar’s government of fueling internal divisions within the group.

ONLF, which fought a decades-long insurgency for Somali self-determination, signed a ceasefire in 2018 under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s reformist agenda. The deal promised greater autonomy for the Somali Region, integration of ONLF combatants, and participation in national politics. However, ONLF officials claim that those promises remain unfulfilled.

Since then, the group has fractured into two factions: one led by Abdikarim Sheikh Muse (Qalbidhagah), which operates inside Ethiopia with official recognition, and another led by Maaday, who remains abroad.

In a series of public statements and interviews, Maaday has accused the federal government and Cagjar’s administration of using divide-and-rule tactics to weaken ONLF from within. He cited meetings between Somali regional officials and rival ONLF factions, which he claims were staged to create internal rifts.

“They back people who claim to have ousted us, then tell both sides to reconcile,” Maaday told BBC Somali earlier this year. “That violates the spirit of the agreement.”

Cagjar emphasized that his government has no legal authority to license political parties, stating that power resides with Ethiopia’s National Electoral Board.

“If ONLF has concerns about legal registration, they should raise them with the relevant federal institutions,” he said. “And if they want to come home, we welcome them.”

The dispute has intensified in recent weeks following a controversial meeting between Somali Region officials and Chinese energy company Poly-GCL, which is involved in oil and gas extraction in the Ogaden Basin. ONLF condemned the engagement as a violation of local sovereignty and warned the company of “repercussions” if it proceeds without public consent.

The issue of resource control remains deeply sensitive in the Somali Region. ONLF has long argued that local communities have been excluded from decisions involving hydrocarbons and mineral rights. The group sees the Poly-GCL deal as a continuation of what it calls “resource plunder” by Addis Ababa and its regional allies.

ONLF spokesperson Adani Hirmoge recently warned that if the political and economic marginalization continues, the group may abandon the peace agreement entirely. “We laid down arms to seek our rights together with the regional government,” he said. “But the promises made have not been honoured.”

Cagjar dismissed Maaday’s suggestion that the group might return to armed struggle, saying the region no longer provides fertile ground for insurgencies. He also accused Maaday’s wing of maintaining ties with foreign governments, though he declined to elaborate.

“We are not worried. The conditions that once allowed armed groups to operate no longer exist,” Cagjar said.

Founded in 1984, ONLF was once Ethiopia’s most prominent armed rebel group in the Somali Region. The ONLF’s transition into formal politics has stalled due to ongoing infighting, with both sides trading accusations over the legitimacy of the 2018 peace agreement and the movement’s future.