Mustafa Omer sworn in as interim leader for Somali region in Ethiopia

By The Star Staff Writer

MOGADISHU – Mustafa Muhumed Omer was officially sworn in as the interim president for the Somali region in Ethiopia on Sunday in a modest ceremony that took place in the territory’s parliament building in Jigjiga.

Omer, who was in exile for 11 years, returned to the Somali region’s capital, Jigjiga, after the ruling Ethiopian Somali People’s Democratic Party, or ESPDP, elected him on Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, as the interim leader of the territory until 2020 elections. The move followed the federal army’s ouster on August 4 of Abdi Mohamed Omer who ruled the area since 2010.

The new leader vowed to focus on strengthening the rule of law, protecting minorities, empowering women, restoring Somali symbols and ending the violence between Somalis and their neighboring ethnic Oromos.

“I am appealing to all of you to support me in this change program that is not a threat to anyone,” Omer told lawmakers immediately after he was sworn in in Jigjiga, which was racked by days of violence that killed dozens of people and destroyed many properties, including churches.  On Sunday, thousands of people, carrying banners and twigs, lined the city’s streets to welcome Omer.

He said the Somali region will be a part of the ongoing reform in Ethiopia. “There’s no reason not to be a part of it,” he said, stressing that his focus will be on democratization, human rights, development and ending inter-communal conflict or the violence against no-Somalis who live in the region.

Omer, who shares the same last name with his predecessor, dismissed rumors that he would seek revenge against members of the previous administration or that he would specifically target certain individuals.

“Justice or nobility is not to do today what you had complained about yesterday,” he said. “I, therefore, assure you that I will not personally — as a president or the government we will be forming — engage in revenge or personal hatred that denies one of his rights. Everyone will be accountable under the law. That doesn’t mean that we will charge or indict some people.

“I personally encourage people to resolve any vendetta according to our Somali culture – Let those who rustled camels from another, return the camels, let those who want to forgive one another, do so — so as not to increase the victimization of our other brothers” who were victimized by the “wrong” previous system.

Omer’s swearing in ceremony appeared to have been rushed, as there were little signs of official preparations. Contrary to the norm in his Muslim society, Omer took the oath of office without placing or holding a copy of the Quran in his right. Instead, he just raised his hand.

In a brief speech after that, he urged lawmakers to act as independent representatives “capable of carrying out the task they were elected for, who can hold me accountable, interrogate him or can reject my proposals.”

He said: “We will strive, God willing, to have lawmakers, who can independently and without any coercion, ventilate their views –in consultation with his people and conscience — on any given subject brought to the floor,” Omer said.

Omer, whose brother was killed by the previous administration, said he would restore the Somali culture that “symbolizes our ethnicity.”

“Every community has a culture, religion, symbols special to it,” President Omer said. “There is no reason to run away from ours…If we don’t remain Somali and not hold onto our Somaliness, we run the risk of cultural extinction and, you see, of others ramming their objectives down our throats.

“The aim is not to inconvenience someone or oppose somebody. It’s not like ‘so and so did this, so do this too. It’s a fundamental issue” he said.

Omer said he would specifically end the conflict between Somalis and Oromos, arguing that it’s “being used to serve political interests that are independent of us.” He said this inter-communal violence “is not in anyone’s interest,” and that he would tackle it in a “professional way and end it in a way based on justice.”

Omer’s ascent to power underscored the stunning reversal of fortune for the former leader who for years bestrode the Somali region like a colossus and promoted Ethiopiannness but now languishes in jail in Addis Ababa.

The new president said his administration would agitate for the Somali people’s rightful share of the national cake.

“We will also focus on restoring Somalis’ share of or role in the country’s power and resource-sharing,” he said.

The Somali region, which is about 96,525 square miles (about 250,000 square kilometers) is the second largest region in Ethiopia after Oromia region. But its political clout is not commensurate with its size. The region’s population of about 6.2 million is also more than the Tigray ethnic group that dominated Ethiopia’s economy and security for the last 28 years after its forces toppled dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991.

The new president said he would support minority groups “with whom we share religion and culture” until they get, like other members of the society, the same level of housing, education and economy.

Omer, who worked with the United Nations in Somalia, said he would boost the movement of people and goods between the Somali region in Ethiopia and neighboring Somalia.

“We will also focus,” he said, “on social integration in the Horn of Africa – what is called regional integration – by first integrating with our Somali people and opening borders so the people can cross the border, treat each other like brothers and trade with each other and be one except for politics.

“In fact,” he said, “that will be of very huge economic benefit to our people.”

Unlike the previous administration that continuously interfered in religious affairs, Omer said under his rule the public would be allowed to practice its religion freely, noting that the state and religion are constitutionally independent of each other.

He also said that he would create opportunities for the youth and enhance women’s power and role in politics and economy during his term.

“But, it (the women empowerment) shouldn’t be carried out in a way that injures the Somali culture or can cause family or societal breakdown,” he said, promising to strengthen and continue progresses his predecessor made in this regard, because “everything (that was done in the past) wasn’t bad.”

Omer said he would wage a war against the widespread corruption, nepotism, favoritism and clannism in the region.

“Those things cripple any society that practices them,” he said. “It’s not in your interest, those of you sitting here. Nor is it in the interest of the public out there — Or even the leaders. If such behavior continues, it results in failure. ”

To restore of the supremacy of the law, he said he would avert creating a situation in which excessive powers are given to individuals or groups.

The point, he said, is “not to allow a part of the government to have an excessive and runaway power it can harm the public.”