Attack on minority, looting orgy grips Jijiga as defence force clashed with Abdi Illey’s paramilitary forces

Heavy artillery and sporadic gunfire spluttered around the Somali region’s capital Jijiga this morning as Ethiopia’s National Defence Forces (ENDF) entered the town to arrest the region’s president, Abdi Mohamoud Omar, known by his nickname ‘Abdi Iley’, who is of accused gross systematic human right violations and inhumane treatment of detainees in the region. Defence forces arrived on Friday evening and took over key positions including the parliament, the local TV and radio station, presidential residence early this morning, residents said. Gunshots and heavy weapons fire erupted between ENDF and members of the region’s notorious paramilitary “Liyu” forces, commanded by Abdi IIey himself. Events degenerated into scenes of random violence and widespread looting by a group of youth calling themselves “Heego”, loyal to Abdi Iley. They frenziedly went around attacking people, particularly non-Somali ethnic groups. “Those thugs who have been trained and financed by Abdi Illey,” according to the town’s resident, rose to the occasion by killing and looting at will. They attacked homes and seized goods and have emptied shops owned by Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups, witnesses said. The Oromia International Bank was one of the targets. The attackers reportedly used government vehicles to carry off their spoils. An Ethiopian Orthodox church, Kidane Miheret was torched, according to the witnesses. They also burned the Ethiopian flags and destroyed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s photos. Footage of the damage on social media showed burned vehicles and offices gutted by fire. “The federal army seems to be either ill prepared for this operation or outnumbered. Their strategy is not clear,” Mohamed Olad, a journalist who writes for the web portal, Jijiga Herald said.

Fatal heavy truck crash

It is hard to verify how many had died but Jemal Dirie Kalif, a former member of Somali region Parliament and an opposition activist said a truck carrying people rolled over in the atmosphere of mounting hysteria and twenty seven people believed to have been died.

Though residents said the situation on Saturday evening was calm after some early sporadic gunfire, many fearful residents were confined to their homes, and some were sheltered in the Ethiopian Commercial Bank building and other buildings protected by the defence forces. Whilst others are seeking refuge at police stations and churches.

The decision to apprehend Abdi Iley was made following an attempt by Abdi Iley’s henchmen to disrupt meeting (possibly assassinate) Somali elders gathered in Dire Dawa town the day before, who according to some reports were discussing to overthrow Iley.  it was also said Iley called meeting of the cabinet for today without advance notice, saying that extraordinary matters had to be communicated, which some said was to trigger article 39 which would call for the secession of the region from Ethiopia.

Abdi Iley’s fate unclear

Despite initial reports that Abdi Iley has been arrested, including a Facebook post from Oromia government’s spokesperson, Negeri Lencho who referred him as “puppet lowland”, the officials stopped well short of declaring his arrest. Negeri’s Facebook post was removed. Illey made a brief appearance on the regional television to ask for calm afterwards. There is still not a solid information about his situation. Negeri’s reference to “highland old masters, fighting proxy war” has drawn lots of comment. Since he was appointed as regional head of security in 2008 and regional president in July 2010, Abdi Iley has said to have developed strong ties with TPLF dominated military generals, particulalry with Abraham Woldemariam Genzebu, head of operation main department of ENDF. In the past Abraham, known as Quarter, was head of the Eastern Defence Command of the ENDF, and his name was often associated with atrocities committed by his troops and caused the displacements of half million people along the borders of the Oromia and Ethiopian Somali regional states. Ethiopia Observer at this stage is unable to confirm if Abraham still has the post at ENDF, or the veracity of rumour that he is commanding Liyu forces from Mekele, where he is currently based.Though Iley’s relation with the new Abiy administration is far from being amical, he had pledged unconditional support for the new administration, praising Abiy Ahmed and Lemma Megersa a month ago.

Reactions

There were criticism of defence’s forces attempt to apprehend the regional president. The rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front calls on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to immediately halt all military activities in the region and initiate a peace process inclusive of all stakeholders. “Only then can we meaningfully address the future of the Somali people including what an urgent transitional change might look like,” it said in a statement. “We welcome the rapid changes underway in the Ogaden region, but the unilateral decision of the government to deploy the Ethiopian National Defence forces and take control of the region is a hostile move against the Somali people- breeding further instability and chaos at this critical time,” it added.

A statement issued by the Ethiopia National Defence Force this evening condemned the “unacceptable” conflict that broke out in Jigjiga and spread to other towns, and called for its immediate termination. “Although the National Defence Force has been following the developments closely along with other security bodies and tried to control the situation, it is now escalating beyond control. Hence, as the situation has grown to undermine the peace and security of the people, the National Defence notifies that it will take the necessary measures within the legal bound,” indicated the statement.

Ethiopia’s Somali region has been disputed for decades. In 2007, ONLF attacked a Chinese-run oilfield in the area, killing 71 Chinese and Ethiopians workers. ONLF was established in August 1984 with its headquarters in Kuwait. The Liyu paramilitary police, regional state security composed of Somalia ethnic groups was formed by federal army in 2008 to counter ONLF. The Liyu forces, today numbered 45,000 have been partly responsible for the violence and clash along the provinvce’s border with the Oromia region and tarnished the image of the Ethio-Somali region.  There were reports that Liyu force officials were getting too strong with military equipment and money and some engaged in Khat trade and clandestine people smuggling business.

Predictable crisis

Crisis Group’s Horn of Africa Analyst, Rashid Abdi says, “the crisis was predictable; highlights limits of Addis’s old policy of reliance on strong men to pacify and stabilise restive regions. In effect, PM Abiy has been handed a tricky legacy problem which he now will be called upon to navigate, resolve with great circumspection,”

“Iley is a beneficiary of the increased geopolitical, security and economic significance of the Somali Region in recent years. Much of this driven by proximity to Somalia; rise of militant Islam/resilience of Al-Shabaab (need to inoculate Ethiopia effectively); discovery of vast gas fields,” he tweeted.

Main photo: Abiy Ahmed and Abdi Iley in Jijiga on April 6.

(Update: VOA’s Harun Maruf’s wrote an hour ago, saying nearly 30 people died as a result of yesterday’s violence in Jigjiga, citing regional officials.  Daniel Kibret, a deacon close to Mahibere Kidusan, Orthodox Church Sunday School Department said that Kidus Yared Hibue, a priest in Warder’s St. Gabriel church and Kidanemarim Niberetu, a priest at St. George church of Degahabur were among those killed. Daniel said St. Mary church in Kebri Dehar and St. George Church in Degahabur were completely burned.)