Somali Region Group Sends an Official complaint to the Ethiopia Election Board

To: the Ethiopia Election Board
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia Federal Democratic Republic Prime Minister Office
Federal Affair Minister Office
Ethiopian Defence Force
Somali Regional State President office
All Ethiopia Federal Missions in all over the world

We have received from Aware district in Ethiopia somali regional state a complaint that says the somali regional state election board has excluded isaq people from taking part in the local election held last Sunday. As known, the somali regional govt has recently made three more district out of the former Aware district, in addition to aware district itself. Although the Isaq inhabits the  districts, they were excluded from taking part in this election.

A group of community representatives travelled to jijiga and lodged a complaint to the jijiga election board. However, they were told that the election board acts with the instruction of the regional govt. Then the representatives spoke to the regional government’s president and he openly told them that isaq community has no place in the Aware district regardless they inhabited many kebeles in the district and including Aware town.

Now the situation is tense and this could lead to clan conflict, creating open hostility damaging community cohesion. The regional state has not yet taken any measures to rectify the issues and the isaq community says the regional govt is making grave mistake to ignite clan conflict between formerly peacefully co-existing somali clans in the districts.

If this situation is not addressed urgently, this would have a big negative impact on the development and peace progress in the regional state and could have a rampfiction for the whole nation.  Although we are not at the ground level, we are very much concerned that this issue could spiral out of control and create injustice. We as diaspora organisation would like to request the federal election board to urgently look into this complaint and take all necessary action to rectify the mistake deliberately being implemented by the regional government.

All these problems are occurring after the regional president made more than 15 new districts. These districts have no defined boundaries, population, and territorial demarcation, and they were not formed based on good research and consultation with stakeholders. There is a big suspicion that these new districts were purposely made so that the Ogaden clan could have a total control of the regional parliament and it easily implement any program that pave the way for adoption of any legislations, including establishment of  an Independent Ogaden country.

Again as concerned citizens and individuals with good intention, we are urging the federal government take action that would  make sure that all people within the regional state are properly represented. The local people are intimidated and they could not lodge any written complaint. We, as their representative, have decided to lodge this complaint. We remind the federal government that we should be given opportunity to convey this message to concern authority so that the election board immediately issue all necessary investigation before the situation develop to point of no return and mar the country’s national and international image.

Ethiopia Somali Haud Development World Wide Diaspora Umberalla Organistion

–Gaafo