Human Rights Watch has welcomed the arrest of the former president of the Somali Regional State, Abdi Mohamoud Omar.
Mr. Omar was arrested by Ethiopian security agencies at his home and is locked up at a police station in Addis Ababa.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch called for a transparent and fair trial.
“Hopefully, today’s arrest of Abdi Illey is a start to justice for victims of serious crimes in Ethiopia’s Somali region,” reads the statement. “The federal authorities should ensure that prosecutions are transparent, rigorous and fair and that victims and witnesses can testify without fear of reprisals.”
The arrest was also welcomed by Former Somali rebel group, Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).
“Today’s (Monday) arrest of Iley is a step in the right direction towards accountability and justice for all those who have suffered under his brutal dictatorship. He has left a bitter legacy of pain & suffering for which the noble people of the Ogaden region must be healed,” the group said in a post in a twitter.
ONLF urged the government of Ethiopia to prosecute other generals of TPLF for crime against humanity.
His arrest should be followed by the rapid arrest of top TPLF generals and security officials such as Samore Younis and Abraham Wolde, including other security and military officials implicated in the destruction, and widespread horrors and abuses in the region.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who briefed reporters on Friday afternoon, indicated that prisoners in Somali region were kept in cells along with a live lion, a tiger, and a hyena to scare the inmates.
“The human right abuses we heard about in this area are like what we see in horror movies, or read in fiction,” Mr. Abiy told reporters.
“It is not something one can imagine happening in Ethiopia.”
Lobby groups and individuals have been critical of Mr. Omar’s human rights violations since he took power 10 years ago.
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