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ONLF hails parliamentary report on Qalbi Dhagah, terms it historic

Storyline:11th Parliament, National News
A lawmaker casts her vote during the election of Lower House Speaker January 11, 2016. Photo: Amisom

The Ogaden National Liberation Front has welcomed the Lower House report dissociating the group with terrorism and terming illegal the extradition of its leader Qalbi Dhagah.

Speaking to Goobjoog News Sunday, the spokesperson of ONLF Abdikadir Hassan Hirmoge said the decision of the Somali Lower House was a historic one and clear of interference from external pressures.

“We regard the decision to be a valuable one prepared by a crucial committe and the qualification of the Somali parliament to represent the Somali people was clear today who are independent minded. It’s a history and we applaud them much” said Hirmoge.

Hirmoge said Abdikarim Muse aka Qalbi Dhagah was ailing but receiving medical help in Ethiopian jail.

“Abdikarim is held in a jail belonging to the secret service of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa with a better condition than other prisons that our people used to be tortured in. He is sick and we believe he has access to doctors” he said.

The ONLF spokesman whose organisation had strongly condemned the extradition of Qalbi Dhagah hailed the House special committee report as historic. “We congratulate them and history will judge them positively. It depicted patriotism. They displayed the true colours of the existence of the Somali nation.”

Abdikarim Muse, was captured in late August 2017 when he travelled to Adado town in Galmudug region. He was flown to Mogadishu and handed over to the Somali federal government which later transferred him to the Ethiopian government. His extradition caused public outcry and demonstrations held in some parts of the country.

The report tabled and adopted by the Lower House Saturday absolved the executive of responsibility but instead heaped blamed at the intelligence agency NISA over what it said was transmission of wrong information to the government.

The report subsequently declared the extradition as illegal and observed that ONLF was not a terrorist organisation as indicated by the cabinet September.

Separately, in a statement Saturday, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) welcomed the parliamentary committee report noting parliament stood for the sovereignty of Somalia.

“The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) strongly welcomes the decision of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament, and believes it is a decision of the House of the People of the Federal Republic of Somalia to protect the country’s sovereignty and accountability.”