Flag Day in Ethiopia: Identity, Repression, and the Struggle of the Somali People

Flag Day in Ethiopia: A Celebration Without Identity

Flag Day in Ethiopia is meant to symbolize unity — but who really identifies with the current Ethiopian flag?
Under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Prosperity Party (PP), national identity has become blurred and politicized, leaving millions of Ethiopians — especially Somalis — questioning what this flag truly stands for.

A Flag Without Meaning for Many

In the Somali region, Flag Day has become a forced ritual rather than a moment of pride. Last week, the Jigjiga administration pressured residents to participate in celebrations, waving a flag that holds no cultural, historical, or emotional connection to Somali people.

For Somalis, this flag is not a symbol of unity — it’s a reminder of oppression and exclusion.
Even other major Ethiopian groups reject its symbolism:

  • Amhara groups, including Fano, proudly display their traditional green, red, and yellow flag.
  • Tigray remains fully detached, using its regional emblem as a symbol of resilience during both war and peace.
  • Oromo people identify with the OLF flag, a long-standing symbol of resistance and self-determination. Even the ruling Oromo PP uses the Gadaa flag during cultural events like Irreecha.

If Ethiopia’s largest communities distance themselves from this flag, how can Somali people — whose history and identity were never integrated into Ethiopia’s nationhood — be expected to embrace it?

From Abdi Ilay to Mustafa Omer: The Erasure of Somali Identity

The campaign to impose a false identity on Somali people did not begin with Abiy Ahmed.
Former regional president Abdi Ilay openly worked to erase Somali heritage, banning symbols connected to Somalia and replacing the blue Somali flag — a symbol of all Somali peoples — with a yellow flag inspired by old Abyssinian and Orthodox iconography.

To gain acceptance from Addis Ababa, he prohibited the public expression of Somali identity.
When Abiy Ahmed and the Oromo-dominated PP came to power, Abdi Ilay’s loyalty meant nothing — he was imprisoned by the same system he once served.

Today, Mustafa Omer and Adam Farah appear to follow that same path. Regional authorities are again forcing participation in Flag Day events and threatening local administrators who resist. Meanwhile, public funds meant for essential services are being redirected to finance flag parades — even as thousands of Somalis go hungry.

A Cycle of Manufactured Patriotism

Ethiopian history repeatedly punishes those who build power on forced patriotism:

  • Haile Selassie’s ministers and generals were executed by the Derg regime.
  • The Derg itself fell, and its officials were later imprisoned or exiled.
  • Many senior EPRDF officials met the same fate under Abiy Ahmed.

Now, Abiy and his Prosperity Party repeat the cycle — promoting a fabricated national identity while silencing those who question it.

The Ogaden Gas Deception

The government’s rhetoric of inclusion and prosperity collapses under scrutiny.
In the Ogaden gas exploration project, Abiy Ahmed has claimed the Somali region will receive a 50% share of the profits. But in truth, no Somali professionals or leaders are involved.

Project operations are shrouded in secrecy, staffed entirely by non-Somalis, and managed without transparency. The very people whose land contains these resources remain excluded from both participation and benefit.

A Flag Without Ownership

Flag Day should symbolize unity, freedom, and pride. Instead, it exposes a profound crisis of identity in Ethiopia.
A flag cannot unite a nation that it fails to represent.

For Somali people, the Ethiopian flag represents decades of repression, false promises, and forced assimilation. History will remember not those who compelled loyalty through fear, but those who stood for truth, dignity, and self-determination.