19/07/2025
Looming Conflict Between Oromo and Somali Communities: A Dangerous Crisis Ignored:
A Systemic Campaign of Displacement and Violence
Ethiopia is on the edge of another major conflict — this time between two historically connected and interdependent peoples: the Oromo and Somali. In recent months, attacks on Somali communities across border areas have intensified. Evidence increasingly points to a coordinated campaign led by the Oromo Prosperity Party (Oromo PP), with support from the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), aimed at displacing Somali communities and redrawing regional boundaries by force.
Escalating Attacks Across Somali Border Zones
On July 19, 2025, the Somali villages of Dakasoftu , bordering Negelle area of Oromia ,came under deadly assault by Oromia regional forces. These attacks followed previous violent incidents in Biyo-kulul and Bika in the Sitti Zone. Most recently, Moyale and Hudhudh a local administration in Dawo Zone, bordering Borona area of Oromia, was attacked.
According to eyewitnesses, the Liban Zone security chief, ENDF officials, and Oromia representatives met with Somali community elders a day before the assault. At the meeting, Somali residents were given an ultimatum: vacate three local villages, or the area would be transferred to Oromia forcibly. When the community rejected this demand, an attack followed.
A Pattern of Ethnic Cleansing:
This disturbing pattern aligns with what Ali Samira Sigad, the former Somali Region Border Commission Commissioner, revealed three years ago: a systematic plan to forcibly displace Somali people from border areas in five zones.
Ali Samira was silenced, removed from his post, and targeted by PP propaganda media — all for exposing the truth.
Silence and Complicity from Somali Leaders:
Shockingly, the Somali Region’s top officials — Mustafa Omer (President), Ibrahim Osman (Vice President), Ahmed Shide, and Adam Farah — have been silent or complicit. These officials are widely seen as handpicked by Oromo PP elites and serve more to protect the interests of Oromia than to represent Somali people.
Adam Farah, currently a top federal official and former deputy mayor of Dire Dawa, was recently in Dire Dawa after attacks that killed several Somali civilians. He allegedly pressured Sitti Zone administrators to remain silent, warning them against speaking to the media and demanding full cooperation with Oromo expansionist goals.
Dire Dawa: A City Becoming a Flashpoint:
The situation is even more alarming in Dire Dawa. The city’s mayor, Khadir Jowhar, a member of the Oromo PP, has been accused of:
Orchestrating the illegal arrest of Marmarsa Kebele's head, part of Shinile Woreda (Somali Region),
Seizing Somali land for industrial projects and business resettlements,
Resettling Oromo communities without consultation with the Somali population.
These actions blatantly violate constitutional boundaries and escalate inter-ethnic tension in one of Ethiopia’s most sensitive multi-ethnic cities.
A Humanitarian Crisis Ignored:
This is not the first time Somali people have faced this threat. Over the last seven years, the Afar Region, supported by ENDF and the Somali Region’s silent leadership, has displaced over 200,000 Somali civilians, with thousands killed or suffering due to malnutrition and disease.
The Somali people have given Ethiopia multiple chances for peace, most notably during the 2018 peace process that saw the ONLF lay down arms and participate in politics. In return, they now face land grabs, massacres, and silence from their own leaders.
Oromo and Somali People Are Not Enemies:
It’s critical to remember that the Oromo and Somali peoples share centuries of bonds: trade, culture, intermarriage, and communal coexistence. But the Oromo PP — a political elite that does not represent the Oromo population — is driving a wedge between these two peoples.
Dangerous Consequences:
If this aggression continues unchecked:
The fragile peace in Somali Region will collapse.
The Somali youth, making up over 70% of the population, may resort to armed resistance.
The entire Horn of Africa could face a devastating, ethnically charged conflict.
Call to Action:
We urge:
The Oromo people to reject the violent tactics of Oromo PP and preserve their long-standing ties with Somali communities.
The Somali political leadership to prioritize the constitutional rights and dignity of their people, not their careers.
The international community, including the U.S., EU, and African Union, to actively investigate and intervene before the crisis becomes irreversible.
Timeline of Recent Attacks & Actions
Date Events :
July 13, 2025 Biyo-kulul village attacked in Sitti Zone
July 15, 2025 Moyale and Hudhud under heavy assault
July 19, 2025 Dhakasuftu (Liban Zone) attacked after ENDF-Ormia ultimatum
July 14, 2025 Dire Dawa mayor arrests Somali Kebele head in Shinile
Ongoing Systemic displacement of Somali people from Dire Dawa, Liban, and Sitti
Final Warning:
If left unaddressed, this growing crisis could spill across Ethiopia’s borders and ignite regional instability across the Horn of Africa. Time is running out to preserve peace, honor diversity, and prevent bloodshed.
Let peace and justice prevail.
