Ogaden National Liberation Front to Withdraw from 2018 Peace Deal

Ogaden National Liberation Front, on Sunday, issued a statement threatening to withdraw from the peace deal signed with the Ethiopian federal government in 2018.

ONLF accused the Ethiopian government of failing to reintegrate former ONLF combatants, victims of war, and communities devastated by Ethiopia’s military campaigns. “The Ethiopian government actively blocked ONLF’s political participation, denied its legal status through the National Election Board (NEBE), and illegally used ONLF’s name to mislead the international community into believing it is engaging with the organization while in reality silencing true Somali representation,” ONLF said.

ONLF fought Ethiopian and Somali’s security forces for years. In 2018, it laid down arms and signed a peace deal with the Ethiopian federal government. It turned into a political party.

According to the statement issued yesterday, ONLF tried to engage in a dialogue with government to implement the peace deal. Talks which were planned to be held in Kenya could not be held.

“ONLF can no longer engage with a government that has willfully dismantled the peace process and shut down democratic space. The Somali people, like all oppressed nations in Ethiopia, have the right to determine their own future free from state coercion and manipulation. In light of these developments, ONLF is actively exploring alternative avenues to ensure the self-determination, justice, and dignity of the Somali people,” ONLF concluded.

It remains to be seen which “alternative avenues” ONLF intends to explore to force the Ethiopian federal government to implement 2018 peace deal.

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