Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is holding a plenary session to reconsider the peace deal it signed with the Ethiopian government.
In 2018, ONLF laid down arms after years of fighting against the Ethiopian security forces in the Somali region of Ethiopia. It signed a peace deal and turned into a political party. But it has been criticizing the Ethiopian government for not honoring the peace agreement.
Ogaden National Liberation Front has been struggling to gain the right of self determination for the people of Ogaden region. It remained under crackdown by both Ethiopia and Somalia.
Existing tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia have given a new significance to the largely dormant ONLF. Somalia and Ethiopia are on the verge of a major armed conflict if their bilateral issues are not solved. In case of any Ethiopia-Somalia armed confrontation, ONLF’s role could be crucial.
The party is going to hold its plenary session this week, in which reportedly in will reassess its peace deal signed with the Ethiopian government in 2018. Most of the party leaders including Chairman Abdirahman Mahdi stay abroad. Abdi Kadir Hassan, party spokesperson, is based in Nairobi. Abdi Karim Muse Qalbi, a senior ONLF leader, has been seen in Mogadishu Somalia. It seems that the party will hold its plenary session either virtually or abroad.
In recent weeks, ONLF issued 3 strong statements. In its first statement, it slammed the Ethiopian military chief Birhanu Jula for accusing ONLF of being backed by Egypt. In an other statement, it accused the Prosperity Party government in the Somali region of Ethiopia of virtually imposing a martial law in the Somali region. Lastly it withdrew from the Ethiopian national dialogue this week.
It seems that Ogaden National Liberation Front wants to take advantage of the ongoing tension between Ethiopia and Somalia, in order to gain political or other favors from the Ethiopian government. It is highly unlikely that ONLF will unilaterally withdraw from 2018 peace deal.
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