Ogaden: ONLF official praises Oromia President, Criticizes Abdi Iley

[Deeq A.]

By Ahmed Abdi

Sweden—An official from Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) praises Oromia president Lemma Megersa for protecting their Oromo people while criticizing severely the Ogaden renegade Abdi Iley on human rights abuses on Sunday.

“Oromia President Lemma Megersa and his Special police are protecting their Oromo population from TPLF,” said  Rayale Hamud on a Facebook Live this evening.

Mr. Hamoud said that the Ogaden renegade executed brutally thousands of his own people to appease Tigrean Generals in occupied Ogaden Somalis.

The official said that his father who was a senior member of the Western Somali Liberation Front was executed by the Derg regime.

He said the Ethiopian regime led by the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) has failed to incite l war between Oromo and Issa and will fail the same if it attempts to incite violence between Issa and Afar communities- referring to the tension over the disputed territories of Gadmaytu, Undafoo, Garmado and Adaytu.

He vowed to fight for the return of the Ogaden territory occupied by the Abyssinian highlanders since the late 19th century.

In 1991, Hamoud founded a political and fighting force named the Issa and Gurgura Liberation Front (IGLF). He became the Vice President of the Ethiopian established Ogaden administration but eventually, he joined the Ogaden National Liberation Front.

ONLF has been fighting for independence since 1994 and was formed in Mogadishu on 15 August 1984.