Since colonial powers officially seceded control of the Ogaden to Ethiopia during the partition of Somalia in the mid 20th century, which was a vile continuation of the same manifesto concocted at the 1884 Berlin Conference. Consecutive Ethiopian regimes have attempted to loot what has rightfully belonged to Somali people, which is it’s god given resources. Weather it be the Sinclair oil Firm which was exploring oil in the region during the imperial era of Haile Selassie or the current endeavors of Poly-GCL, Abyssinians have never hesitated to exploit the Ogadens resources at the expense of the indigenous Somali people.
This is despite the fact that the Ogaden remains closed off from the outside world as foreign journalists and media along with humanitarian agencies and NGO’s are banned from accessing the region. In the midst of these past three years, Ethiopia has been hit with unprecedented uprisings and Anti government protests, which subsequently shell shocked the Abyssinian elites and there Western backers. To the most part these calls for change came in the form of protests, from the majority yet marginalized Oromo community. As the minority junta led by the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) had its grip on power severely weakened, which nearly caused Ethiopia to disintegrate, The international community (West) came to Abyssinia’s rescue once again. This time installing a new proxy to maintain the Abyssinian settler colonial state known as modern day Ethiopia.
The (s)election of Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister in April 2018 was applauded by many. It’s even gotten to a point in which mainstream media outlets across the globe are labeling Abiy as a “reformist”. Regardless of the fact that the Ogaden remains under martial law and brutal military occupation while Abiy Ahmed plays house of cards from his palace in Addis Ababa in total disregard. As many Somalis know, the (s)election of Abiy Ahmed came with skepticism and doubt. The skepticism and doubt that many Somalis shared came to reality on the 27th of June.
In mid afternoon on the 27th of June, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with officials from Poly-GCL Petroleum Investment Limited. An oil company based in China, that operates as a conglomerate of the Chinese army. As photos surfaced in the media of this dubious deal taking place. The chief of staff for the prime ministers office, Fitsum Arega went publicly on the record via his social media account and announced that crude oil production would begin in the Ogaden. This added insult to injury knowing the plight of millions of Somalis in Ogaden remains unaddressed as thousands remain languishing in prisons and various detention centers in the occupied territories. With millions of Somalis starved and treated as sub humans in the midst of a brutal military occupation which is maintained through the barrel of a gun.
Its quite clear Abiy Ahmed has already began to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors in regards to dealing with the Somalis, while he’s only been office for two months. In regards to the Ogaden, history has proven that the Somali inhabitants have always been a thorn in the foot of the Abyssininan colonial state (Ethiopia) as consecutive regimes have failed at loot natural resources from the region, despite the grotesque and inhumane policies implemented by previous regimes which are equivalent to crimes against humanity.
What’s more surprising is that Abiy Ahmed is yet to learn from the mistakes of his predecessors, particularly the tyrant Meles Zenawi. During the height of Meles Zenawi’s illegal oil endeavors in the Ogaden, the most notable failure of Meles came in April 2007. As Ethiopian special forces where guarding a group of Chinese oil workers at an oil field near the the town of Obole, resistance fighters from the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) launched an ambush and wiped out 64 Ethiopian special forces along with 9 Chinese oil workers that lost there lives in the subsequent crossfire. The obole incident forced Meles Zenawi to fold his hands and retreat in regards to his failed attempts to exploit oil in the Ogaden, which led to the subsequent withdrawal of Chinese oil companies from the region for the time being.
Despite the fact that history repeats itself, it seems as if Abiy Ahmed could care less and his willingness to exploit oil from Ogaden without addressing the issues plaguing the region and its people further proves the notion that Abiy is a replica of past Abyssinian heads of state hellbent on maintaining the status quo of occupation and persecution towards the Somalis in Ogaden. The trojan horse, in this case which is Abiy Ahmed has shown his true colors and will reap with he sows in due time.
Written by Maxamed Abdulkaadir Cismaan
A seasoned blogger providing comprehensive coverage on issues facing Somalis in the Horn of Africa.
