In response to protests denouncing Abiy’s recent remarks, Dire Dawa’s municipal security forces reportedly carried out widespread arrests, house demolitions, and targeted attacks in Somali neighborhoods.
Witnesses describe security raids as “revenge operations” aimed at silencing dissent and intimidating community members.
One particularly alarming case involved a young Somali man who publicly spoke — in Amharic — criticizing the Prime Minister’s claim. Shortly afterward, he was violently assaulted and detained in the Marmarsa area of the Somali Region, allegedly on orders from city authorities. His whereabouts remain unknown, and his family fears for his life.
Residents also report that the Dire Dawa mayor’s administration has extended its control into neighboring Somali areas, conducting operations beyond its legal mandate. Such acts, community leaders argue, reflect the erosion of local autonomy and disregard for Somali regional authority.
A Climate of Fear and Silenced Voices
The situation in Dire Dawa highlights a troubling trend in Ethiopia: shrinking space for free expression, growing ethnic polarization, and centralized repression under the pretext of security.
Civilians who peacefully protested government narratives or demanded accountability have faced arbitrary detention and intimidation.
Community organizations in the Somali region report that dozens of families have been displaced, and several homes were destroyed during retaliatory operations.
Eyewitnesses say residents are now afraid to speak publicly or post on social media due to threats from security officers and informants.
Dire Dawa, Ethiopia — October 2025
In the aftermath of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s controversial parliamentary speech on October 24, 2025, tensions have sharply escalated in the city of Dire Dawa and across surrounding Somali-inhabited areas.
The Prime Minister’s remarks, which falsely asserted that Dire Dawa was historically part of Oromia before 2005, have ignited outrage among Somali communities, elders, and intellectuals who view this statement as an intentional distortion of history and a provocation designed to undermine Somali identity in one of Ethiopia’s most diverse and contested cities.
Historical Background: Dire Dawa and Somali Heritage
Dire Dawa, founded in 1902 during the construction of the Ethio-Djibouti railway, has always been home to the Issa and Gurgura Somali clans and other Somali communities.
Under both the Haile Selassie and Derg regimes, the city was administered with Somali representation — official records and testimonies confirm that elected Somali officials led the city’s administration, and the surrounding areas were historically referred to as Issa and Gurgura Ras.
The city’s cosmopolitan character grew through trade and railway development, but its social and cultural fabric remained deeply Somali.
Following the formation of the EPRDF-led government in the 1990s, Dire Dawa became a chartered city directly under federal authority, reflecting its mixed population — but it was never constitutionally part of Oromia.
Somali elders recall that in 2005, when a new city council was proposed, community leaders such as Adam Alala resisted attempts to assign the first Oromo mayor to the city. He and others were subsequently arrested for defending Somali representation — a sign of long-standing tensions over Dire Dawa’s political status.
Call for Justice and International Attention
The Sitti Somali community condemns the ongoing repression and calls for an immediate, independent investigation into the events following the Prime Minister’s speech.
We urge the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC), Amnesty International, and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to:
- Investigate the arrests, assaults, and demolitions in Dire Dawa and surrounding areas.
- Ensure the protection of civilians, particularly those detained for expressing peaceful dissent.
- Address the root causes of ethnic-based marginalization and protect the historical identity of multiethnic cities like Dire Dawa.
- Hold accountable any officials or institutions responsible for unlawful violence or incitement.
Defending Truth and Coexistence
Dire Dawa represents the intersection of cultures, histories, and peoples — Somali, Oromo, Amhara, and others — who have coexisted for generations.
However, false narratives about its past and attempts to rewrite its identity for political gain risk sowing deep and lasting conflict between neighboring communities.
The Somali people will continue to defend their history and their rights peacefully, through truth, documentation, and unity.
The international community must not remain silent as ethnic manipulation and misinformation threaten to destabilize one of the most fragile regions in the Horn of Africa.