Toggle menu Skip to content Abdi Iley: “I Was a Tool for TPLF” Admin Jul 12, 2018 Ethiopia / Home / News / Politics0 Comments In a bizarre speech that Abdi Mohamoud Omer, aka Abdi Iley, gave to the Somali Region House of Representatives today, he claimed that everything he did for the last ten years was direct orders from Getachew Assefa, the former chief of National Intelligence and Information Services, and other TPLF military Generals. We summarized the excerpts from the long and free flow address that Abdi Iley made during a session by the region’s parliament. **** “I was a tool for TPLF. They [TPLF] did have a gun on my head all this time. I was also giving every penny of the Region’s budget as a ransom payment to a few Tigres [meaning TPLF General and other key politicians].” “I will tell you everything today. Every order to kill or cause a crisis was coming from them [TPLF]”, he continued. “They [TPLF] are the ones who were ordering the killings, I was just doing it to save myself. Every massacre in the Region was also ordered by Getachew Assefa [he said that with a curse word]. He [Getachew Assefa] is also behind the Oromo-Somali conflict. Do you think that Oromos and Somalis would just go into war without someone being behind it, he asked?” “All the mistakes I have made were because of Getachew Assefa. Getachew Assefa held a gun on our head and asked us to do what he wants us to do. “He [Getachew Assefa] is the man who was holding on Hailemariam’s head for 6 years, referring to the former prime minister.” According to Abdi Iley, he even at times kidnaped the wife of the former prime minister Hailemariam.” In this bizarre speech, even to Abdi Iley’s standard, he also said this: “The rumor of my resignation was spread by Getachew Assefa, who wants bags of money as he used to get.” In the same speech, he also claimed that prime minister Abiy Ahmed is a God sent, a prophet and Lemma Meggerssa [Oromia Regional President] is like his disciple.” In what seemed to be someone who is disturbed and out of character while also lacking his usual bravado, he declared that “he is ready to work with them and be part of the changes that are taking place in the country.” In this speech that was like no other, he also seemed conciliatory. He declared, though it lacked authenticity and seemed to be aimed to just buy time, that “our people need to forgive each other. Those who are dead will not come back. Let’s forget what they [TPLF] did to us. We also need to stop silencing dissidents with lethal force to the point of killing the person. We should be able to have a dinner together while having a different point of views”. While continuing this speech that will be for the ages, He remarked sarcastically, “Let’s also pray for those who have been massacred. Haday joogaan way iska shidaalysan lahaayeen[meaning, if they were here today, they would have celebrated the commencement of crude oil production in the Somali Region].” The other remark that also raised some eyebrows is this: “I am calling for the rest of Ethiopian people for neighborly coexisting, especially our foremost neighbor, our brothers the Oromos, since the devils who were instigating all this violence between us are finally caught.” What is also interesting is the fact that he held what amounted to a press conference that he raised the same talking points covered in this piece, but in a rather constrained fashion. The Regional parliament’s session is expected to continue for tomorrow!

Galbeedi, Your correct in your analysis regarding Abey Ahmed's cultural orientation. It is without any kind of doubt that Caabeey Axmed is an abyssinianised Oromo. But Caabey taking power and the Amxaras lurking in the background in order to create the the gone day's of Ityopia Tikdem will not matter for the Somalis. As you know the region that have not assimilated in anyway or have been drawn to cultural sphere of the Xabashida are mainly the Somalis. They are today not part of the political changes happening in Ethiopia and even the xabashida themselves admit that they really do not see those soomali-galbeed as "ethiopian" by culture, religion and so on. Nothing of great value will change for the Somalis. The reason for this is that the Caabey Axmeds quest for "reforms" is becouse of the internal economicl crisis that the EPRDF is facing. What many have not been able to see is that these reforms are mainly driven by deep econmical factors. I dont know ifyou remember this, but last year the IMF issued a stark warning to Haile Mariams government. This was followed shortly by visit by Christian Lagarde, the chairwoman of the IMF. The first visit by an IMF leader to an African nation. The visit coincided with the ethnic unrest the scared away the little remaining investors. In januari, In december 2017 according to a friend of mine the government didnt not even have money to pay off the police officers of the countrey. The countrey was descending into anarchy and chaos becouse the economical bancrupcy. Even the chinese as we noted on SOL a couple of months ago defaulted on the loans that they readily gave to the government. That said, the main question is how will this impact on the Somalis? Nothing, Some are to young to remember this but history does repeat itself. When Aman Andom took power in the DERG before being ousted by Mengistu, he was singing the same tunes as todays Caabey. He even visited Dire Dawa in the 70-ties and gave a passionate speach to Somalis elders and promised them reforms as I have been told. He did the same to the Eritreans but nothing changed. Just as you noted the best hope for the Somalis that are not part of the political fabric of that countrey is to see Tigreega wanting article 39 but as you know they will never do that. The bonds to their Xabashi kindren is to strong. Lets face it, as long as Somalia is weak and broken soomali-galbeed will never be liberated.