Ethiopian Somali region president confessed human rights abuse which he refers to as “mistakes”

[Deeq A.]

Ethiopian-Somali region president, Abdi Mohamoud, has been criticized for egregious human rights abuses in the region and also implicated in the displacement of more than half a million Ethiopians from the region following what seemed to be an orchestrated ethnic-based conflict involving Somalis and Oromo.

A report published today by a government-affiliated media outlet in Ethiopia says that the regional president admitted that “mistake” has been done and his administration will take responsibility for it.

He confessed about the “mistake” at the regular congress of the Ethiopian Somali region council which is underway since yesterday.

“Mistakes are inevitable while working. The culture to keep up the good work and openly apologize for the mistake is a good one and we all need to strengthen such a culture,” The president is quoted as saying by Fana Broadcasting Corporate.

The president added that his party and the regional government has immense respect to what Abiy Ahmed achieved since he took office as prime minister about hundred days ago.

Abdi Mohammed also pledged that his party, Ethiopia Somali Peoples Democratic Party (ESPDP), will work toward achieving Ethiopian new prime minister Abiy Ahmed’s motto of forgiveness and unity and he called on Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a movement which the Ethiopian parliament removed from the list of the terrorist group about a week ago, to take advantage of the amnesty and be part of prime minister Abiy Ahmed’s initiative for forgiveness and unity.

The Human Rights Watch report released on July 4 indicates egregious human right violations at “Jail Ogaden” and requested the Ethiopian government to hold those responsible accountable for it.

Unverified information circulating among Ethiopians in social media has it that Abdy Mohammed implicated former intelligence chief, Getachew Assefa who is from Tigray People’s Liberation Front, for human rights abuse in the region.

Source: – borkena