Abdinur Abdullahi Farah, a central committee member of and deputy head of public relations for the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has reportedly broken away from the organization and joined the government. He told the Voice of America that he shifted side as result of the Front’s refusal to accept the constitution.
The state media quotes him saying;
“[t]hose members of the front who have rejected the National Constitution have no popular support and they are only few led by Admiral Mohammed Ousman who is now hiding in Asmara. He has no more contact with our folk in Europe including in London. Coming to my group, we conferred the issue of the National Constitution with our supporters and reached consensus that we should acknowledge it.”
However publicly known leaders of ONLF and prominent members of the Ogadeni community in London, Minneapolis and Nairobi who were contacted by The Gulelepost contradict Farah’s assertion of leading a faction and enjoying support in the diaspora. All evidences show that Farah defected by himself.
According to multiple sources, Farah was removed from leadership post in October for having unauthorized communication with members of the Ethiopian government before, during and after the negotiations were terminated. Apparently after his dismissal Farah continued to clandestinely attempt to persuade and win over some members of the organization. However those members instead exposed his activities to the rebel’s security branch, forcing him to seek refuge at the Ethiopian embassy in Nairobi which later flew him out of the country.
It appears that the government’s decision to suddenly terminate the negotiation was in part influenced by the misleading signal they received from Farah. He apparently convinced his government handlers that much of the diplomatic corps and prominent field commanders are on his side and willing to lay down arms without demanding much concession on the part of the government. However, its now clear that Farah did not only exaggerate his influence within the organization but also was played by the few whom he actually thought were on his side.
