ADDIS ABABA,, Ethiopia – Two senior members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a former armed group turned legal opposition party, have been detained by Somali Region authorities without charge, according to a statement released by the organization on Sunday.
The arrests—believed to have taken place late last week in the Nogob Zone—have ignited fears of a renewed crackdown on political dissent in Ethiopia’s restive eastern region, where fragile peace has held since the ONLF laid down arms in 2018.
The ONLF said its regional office was “forcibly raided” by local security forces, with its members taken “incommunicado to an undisclosed location,” in what it described as a politically motivated act of intimidation.
The party has demanded their “immediate and unconditional release,” along with an independent investigation into the circumstances of the arrests.
Regional authorities have so far declined to comment publicly on the detentions, and federal officials in Addis Ababa have remained silent amid growing calls for transparency.
“This is not just about two individuals—it’s about the right of opposition groups to operate without fear,” said Abdinasir Hassan, a rights monitor based in Dire Dawa.
“The government promised post-conflict reconciliation, but this suggests lingering patterns of suppression.”
The Somali Region, long marred by cycles of insurgency and authoritarian rule, has remained politically sensitive despite recent federal reforms.
The ONLF, which once led an armed struggle for self-determination, transitioned to a peaceful political movement after signing a peace deal with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government in late 2018.
However, tensions have periodically flared between the ONLF and the Somali Regional President Mustafa Omer’s administration, with disputes over representation, resource control, and governance structures.
The latest arrests risk reigniting old grievances.
In a statement posted on social media, the ONLF warned of “escalating provocations” and urged civil society, international observers, and federal institutions to intervene before the situation deteriorates further.
Analysts say the episode is likely to test Ethiopia’s broader federal experiment, particularly the delicate balance between regional autonomy and central oversight.
“It’s a reminder that political transformation in Ethiopia remains uneven and deeply contested at the regional level,” said Dr. Alem Taye, a political analyst at the Institute for Horn Affairs.
“The way this is handled will signal whether the peace deal with the ONLF was symbolic or substantive.”
As of Monday afternoon, the names of the detained ONLF officials had not been publicly released, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Rights groups are now urging the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to launch a formal inquiry.
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