Ethiopia: Somali Regional State beat and arrests dozens of prominent elders
Jigjiga—Security forces of the Somali Regional State (SRS) beat and detained at least 31 prominent elders of the town of Yu’ub, in the province of Werder, according to residents.
The detention of the prominent members of the Yu’ub community comes after two Liyuu Police were wounded at a disputed village, Ismodey, about eight-kilometers from West of Yu’ub town.
The shooting appeared to be revenge for the killing of Dahir Mada’hey, who was killed in action in the village of Barajise by the Liyuu Police after he allegedly started shooting the Liyuu Police, who attempted to arrest him. The deceased Mada’hey came from another village, Kudunbur, about 20-Kilometers west of Ismodey village.
Elders say their villagers have nothing to do with the shootings and the Liyuu Police, who raided their homes asked them a false confession or face a harsh treatment.
Residents of Yu’ub say the local authorities are taking measures against the same Makahil community that their two innocent Liyuu Police were wounded and they accused Colonel Ahmed Salad and some of the powerful State Officials of conspiring against them by further causing more harm to them.
Col.Salad buried alive 10 of Yu’ub residents during the tyrannical rule of Abdi Mohamoud Omar (aka Abdi Iley) and ordered now the Liyuu Police to continue the dirty work after attempts to mediate between Ga’anweyne and Bahamagan, two Ogadeni sub-clans failed.
“Even God can’t stand between me and you,” Col. Salad said to the residents of Yu’ub Saturday. But he quickly forgot that the Governor of Doollo once told him to learn his limits, when he attempted to intimidate the elders in front of him.
The ousted region’s long-serving administrator Abdi Iley not only armed and enriched his family and inner circle through massive corruption but also forcibly evicted Ga’anweyne Somalis in favor of another.
After Abdi Iley was ousted, people returned to have access to their properties – water pools, houses, homes, shops and their businesses. But hundreds of Liyuu Police receiving orders from commanders of Abdi Iley loyalists attacked them. At least 70 of the Ismodey residents were wounded and Dozens of the IDPs, among them the wounded, were staying in the bushes without food and clean water. Any delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid had been refused entry into the IDPs.
The recurrent land dispute could escalate to conflicts that will jeopardize the Federal government’s endeavors to make the region Africa’s Dubai and will likely lead the termination of Oil and Gas explorations.
We are here publishing a list of the names of the detainees that we have received it.
1. Sultan Mohamed Sultan Abdile
2.Garane Abdi Fagad
3.Ahmed Ibad
4.Hashi Rage
5.Farah Liban
5.Ahmed Serar Rage
6.Badal Ahmed Nur Jama Galal
7. Ali Yusuf Hirsi
8. Hasan Ali Harbi
9. Abshir Farah Gambeys
10. Mohamed Dek Muhumed
11. Maqadin Magan
12. Shakal Haji Abdullahi
13. Ali Kulu’ Fahiye
14. Mohamed Abdi Agaweyne
15. Ahmed Ali Dahir Gesod
16. Sahardid Sirad Hasan Og
17. Ahmed Aden Hashi
18. Abdi Mohamed Hasan Jibril
19. Muhumed Abdi Warfa
20.Danab Mohamed Ali
21. Muhumed Mohamed Hassan
22. Muse Liban Ismael
23. Hasan Fide Ahmed
24. Mowlid Muhumed Aden
25. Aliyare Ahmed Ibrahim (Abowe)
26.Ahmed Mohamed Abdikadir
27. Hirsi Aw-Ahmed Yusuf
28. Qalbi Nur Gabeys Abdi Duh
29.Farah Abdi Gurey
30. Hasan Tahlil Aw-Muse
31. Mohamed Osman Shide
