Abdikarin Sheikh Muse Qalb Dhagax has been elected as the Chairman of the Ogaden Liberation Front (ONLF) in Jigjiga, becoming the head of a faction of the movement that supports cooperation with the Ethiopian government. Meanwhile, another opposition faction operating abroad has openly rejected his election.
Qalbi Dhagax was elected at a conference held in Jigjiga over the past few days, which was organized by the ONLF faction that supports the Ethiopian government. However, the opposition faction led by Abdikarin Sheikh Mohamed Mahdi (Maaday) has described the election as illegal.
“The Ogaden Liberation Front of ONLF is completely opposed to the illegal and politically motivated conference, which was falsely described as an ONLF conference,” said a press release from the faction led by Maaday.
The exiled faction accused the Ethiopian government of directly working to destroy the ONLF. They said that “the plan was jointly organized by the Barwaqo Party, the Ethiopian National Electoral Commission and the Somali Regional Government,” with the aim of breaking up the insurgency.
The President of the Somali Regional Government, Mustafa Muxumed Omar (Cagjar), who strongly supports the ONLF faction that works with the government, welcomed the election of Qalbi Dhagax. He said he was committed to working with the new leadership.
“I congratulate the new ONLF Chairman, Abdikarin Sheikh Muse (Qalbi Dhagax). We are committed to working with all political organizations in the region for the benefit and destiny of the nation, as a basis for strengthening peace, stability and development in the region,” President Cagjar wrote on his Facebook page.
The ONLF wing led by Maaday argues that the Ethiopian government has abandoned the peace agreements reached in 2018. They also accused the government of pursuing new plans to weaken the ONLF’s power, such as division and disruption.
President Cagjar dismissed the accusations, saying that Maaday’s wing is pursuing “a policy of bigotry” and that the ONLF is now a political party. He added that if parties are divided or members are lured away, that is the norm in politics and democratic competition.
The Maaday faction has previously said that they will take up arms if the Ethiopian government refuses to come to the negotiating table. President Cagjar, for his part, said that he is ready for dialogue, but that he does not see any optimism from the Maaday faction.
