ESAT News (February 7, 2019) The council of the Somali regional government has lifted immunities of 12 former officials over human rights violations and high level corruption. The regional attorney general said in a press statement that the the former officials had a hand in the deadly ethnic violence last July in the regional capital Jigjiga where at least 59 ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (January 31, 2019) The Federal high court in Addis Ababa brought formal charges against the former president of the Somali regional state and 46 other regional officials accusing them of planning and financing deadly violence in the region. The charge brought against the former president, Abdi Mohamoud Omar, a.k.a. Abdi Alley and the 46 former ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (November 9, 2018) A day after police told a court in Addis Ababa that they have found a mass grave in an area between the Oromo and Somali regions in Eastern Ethiopia containing the bodies of about 200 people, president of the Somali region told ESAT that investigations were underway on “several” mass graves found ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (October 19, 2018) Police told a court in Addis Ababa today that the ex-president of the Somali region had attempted to escape prison. But Abdi Illey denied the accusation and said police was simply defaming him. Abdi Mohamoud Omar, also known as Abdi Illey, was arrested in August for violations of human rights, inciting ethnic ...

ESAT News (August 30, 2018) The former police chief for the Somali region in eastern Ethiopia was arrested and brought to a court in Addis Ababa today. Ferhan Tahir was accused of organizing and directing an armed youth group known as Heego that has allegedly killed several people and burnt churches and properties in recent weeks in Jijiga, the region’s ...

ESAT News (August 29, 2018) Former president of Ethiopia’s Somali region, Abdi Mohamoud Omar (Abdi Illey) has been brought to a court in Addis Ababa and charged with using armed groups that attacked and killed several innocent citizens and burnt churches. Illey was also charged with instigating violence that caused the displacement of thousands of people. Abdi Illey, who is ...

ESAT News (August 28, 2018) Six more officials of the Somali region of Ethiopia have been arrested after yesterday’s arrest of the ex-president of the region, Abdi Illey. The arrests were made after the regional council has lifted legislative immunities of seven officials on Sunday. The Federal police say the officials would be brought to justice and defend the allegations. ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 27, 2018) The ex-president of Ethiopia’s Somali region, Abdi Mohamoud Omar, also known as Abdi Illey, has been arrested at his residence in Addis Ababa today. According to a report by the Ethiopian Television that quoted the federal prosecutor, Abdi Illey was arrested for violations of human rights, inciting ethnic and religious conflict in ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (August 23, 2018) Two former officials of the Somali region of Ethiopia have been nabbed in Somaliland as they were boarding a plane to Mogadishu, capital of neighboring Somalia. Somaliland immigration officials have detained Ibrahim Adem Mahad, the former head of the regional education bureau and Abdi Jama former head of justice bureau. Both ex-officials ...

ESAT News (August 20, 2018) The Human Rights Watch urge the Ethiopian government to investigate rights abuses in the Somali region of Eastern Ethiopia, including investigations on former and current regional officials, and bring perpetrators to justice. Renewing its call for justice in the Somali region, the rights watchdog said “the government of Ethiopia should commit to an in-depth, independent ...