borkena
August 27,2018
Former Somali Regional State president Abdi Mohammed Omar, a.k.a. Abdi Illey, is arrested today in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopian government disclosed officially though government media.
Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) report says that he was arrested from his residence located around Atlas Hotel in Addis Ababa.
A video footage released by Ethiopian government media shows Federal Police members escorting Abdi Illey into a white car parked outside of what is said to be his residence.
EBC report added that five AK 47 and 5 handguns were recovered from his house, but the report did not say if his guards were arrested with him.
However, the source has reported that police is arresting other former officials implicated in causing humanitarian and security crisis in the region for a long time now. Early this month alone, dozens of Ethiopians were killed (and they were targeted based on their ethnic identity), thousands of residents were displaced, businesses attacked and destroyed, tens of thousands residents of towns in the region including Jijiga(which is the capital of Somali Regional State) displaced and more than ten churches were burned among other things.
Office of the Federal Prosecutor is cited as saying that Abdi Mohammed Illey will be charged with crimes of human rights violations and inciting religious and ethnic-based violence in Somali region of Ethiopia. The office also added that he will be charged with “other crimes” without giving details about it.
In the past, Abdi Illey was also implicated in squandering government resources and reportedly spent as pleased.
EBC report added that Abdi Illy’s residence in the capital is under the control of the Federal Police.
News of the arrest of Abdi Illey was rumored soon after the Federal government deployed members of the defense force to the region following ethnic based massacre targeting Amhara and Oromo in the Somali region of Ethiopia early this month but government did not announce it. Apparently, he was under house arrest in the capital Addis Ababa.
Government officially disclosed his arrest today after Government Communications Minister and Chairman of Ethiopian Somali People’s Democratic Party, Ahmed Shide, made public yesterday that Somali Region Council members lifted immunity of seven council members, apparently including the region’s former president – Abdi Illey.
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