JIGJIGA ( Halbeeg News) – The leadership of Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has called for stability in Kismayo town following a divisive election in last year.
Speaking to the media in Addis Ababa, the group’s chairperson, Abdirahman Mahdi Madey said the region needs stability and reconciliation rather than regional competition.
The leader firmed that competition between the countries could deteriorate the security and lead tensions in Jubbaland state.
“One key issue for Ethiopia and even for the Somalis in the regional state is security. Kismayo is a very strategic position. And if things change there, it will affect the security of this country,” he stated.
Asked about Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s role and the involvement of Ethiopia in Jubbaland’s affairs, Madey lauded Abiy’s efforts to stabilize the Horn of Africa region saying Ethiopia played a very important role in the region.
“Well, first of all, I appreciate very much Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s burden; he is dealing with a lot of burdens and a lot of patience. I believe he’s doing very well on many issues. That said, we Somalis have got a lot of stake in the horn of Africa. In Kenya, in Somalia in Djibouti, even as far as Eritrea. So what we would like very much for the Prime Minister, and also the ruling party,” he said.
He welcomed the newly installed relations between Somalia and Ethiopia which ended the longtime hostilities between Somalis and Ethiopians in the Horn of Africa region.
“The Somali-Ethiopia conflict has been going on for quite a long time. Now, things have changed and Somalis and Ethiopians do not see each other as enemies anymore,” he noted.
He pledged that ONLF will work on strengthening the relations between the two communities.
“ So we will avoid anything that could create again that scenario which destroyed the Horn of Africa. So we believe we have a common destiny; we can walk together and we have to project friendship and neutrality, not an opposition towards them,” the chairperson pledged.
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