(afrol) — Sheikh Ibrahim Abdalla Mah, the 1991-98 chairman and spiritual leader of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), died this morning in Abu Dhabi. The 67-year-old was among the founding members of the Ethiopian Somali rebel group, now posing a serious threat to the Woyanne army.
Mr Ibrahim Abdalla Mohamed “Mah” belonged to the Somali minority in Ethiopia, which is mainly living in the Ogaden region. The scholar, who had studied in a Mecca university, became engaged in Somali nationalist politics in the 1970s, shortly after his return to Ogaden.
In 1984, the ONLF was founded to fight against the Derg, the military dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam, and Mr Ibrahim was one of six founding members. The ONLF was one of the major forces behind the 1991 defeat of the Derg, together with current dictator Meles Zenawi’s Tigrayan Peoples’ Liberation Front (Woyanne).
The fall of the Derg coincided with the election of Mr Ibrahim as chairman of the ONLF, a position he held until 1998. He presided over the decision to take part in the Ethiopian elections and opted for peace in 1991. But he also presided over the decision to wage an armed struggle after a Woyanne attack on ONLF headquarters.
The ONLF and the people of the Ogaden town of Wardheer saved Sheikh Ibrahim from an assassination attempt by the Woyanne Army in February 1994. More than 80 civilians from Wardheer died in saving him. The attack hardened the Ogaden Somali people’s insistence on independence from Ethiopia and greatly served to make the ONLF a force recognised by most Ogaden Somalis as representing them as a nation.
An ONLF spokesman today told afrol News that Mr Ibrahim is considered one of the greatest leader figures of the Ogaden, both as an ONLF leader and as a spiritual leader. “Sheikh Ibrahim was a father, a leader and a very spiritual person who believed in tolerance and the right of all people to live together peacefully,” the spokesman said.
Mr Ibrahim was open to a solution of Ethiopian rule over an autonomous Ogaden – a region that is relatively homogenously inhabited by Somalis – instead of an attachment to a Greater Somalia. “He believed that free people who form voluntary associations is the best solution to the problems in the Horn of Africa,” the ONLF spokesman told afrol News.
After retiring from the ONLF leadership in 1998, Mr Ibrahim moved to the Arab Emirates, where he continued doing representation work for the nationalist movement and was engaged in writing books and articles.
Since 2007, the conflict in Ogaden has intensified strongly, with the ONLF launching several major and successful attacks on the Woyanne Army. ONLF is currently led by Chairman Mohamed Osman.
15 thoughts on “Ogaden rebel leader dies”
The death of the shek is avery bad news to the people of OGADEN and to the entire peace loving people of EAST AFRICA. OUR HEART ACHES FOR OUR FATHER,LEADER. my condolence to the people of Ogaden and particularly to his family…
MayThe Almighty God Shower His Blessing To Our Father And Leader…
MAY ALLAH BLESS YOUR SOUL, MAY ALLAH TAKE YOU TO THE HIGHEST OF THE HEAVENS…AMIIN,AMIIIN,AMIIN,AMIIN,AMIIIIIN.. SHEIK IBRAHIM ABDALLA WE WILL NEVER FORGET HIM, BECOUSE OF THE STAGE HE BROUGHT ONLF AND OUR STRUGGLE FOR SELF DETERMINATION….WE LOST A FATHER,HERO,LEADER,ADVOCATE,TAGAY.
“The ONLF was one of the major forces behind the 1991 defeat of the Derg, together with current dictator Meles Zenawi’s Tigrayan Peoples’ Liberation Front (Woyanne)”.
For God`s sake, does anyone remember any millitary action of ONLF against the Derg, let alone being one of the major forces behind the 1991 defeat of the Derg? It was completely un-true. ONLF started very little hit and run activities just in 1993 because of the vacum in the presence of Ethiopian army by then. Even today, the millitary strength of ONLF is not as strong as some web-sites including Ethiopian Review post it. It is a collection of “Khat” adicted contrabandists with no-deep knowledge even for what they are fighting.
Press Release
Death Of Ogaden Somali Hero
Early in the Morning on 22 June 2008 Sheikh Ibrahim Abdalla Mah died in Abu Dhabi.
Sh. Ibrahim Abdalla was born in Qalaafo (Kelafo) Ogaden in 1941. He finished his primary education in the Ogaden and went for further studies to Saudi Arabia in 1958 where he did his secondary education and University. He graduated From Imam Mohamed Bin-Sacud University in Mecca in 1970.
In 1973 he came to Somalia and became a teacher in the Secondary Schools in Hargheisa-Northern Somalia. He joined WSLF in 1976 and became WSLF representative in Abu Dhabi in 1981. He was also elected to the Central Committee of WSLF.
In 1984 Sh. Ibrahim Abdalla became one of the Founding members of ONLF. He came to the Ogaden and attended the First ONLF Congress in the Ogaden in 1991 and was elected its chairman. He was the Chairman of ONLF until 1998. He retained his Central Committee seat and was an active member of ONLF until he deceased. 1n 1999 he formed the institute of Strategic Studies of the Horn of Africa.
Sh. Ibrahim abdallah was a writer and wrote the following books and many articles in different newspapers in the Middle East. Sh. Ibrahim Abdalla strongly believed in the Right to self-determination and freedom of the Somali people under Ethiopian rule. Sh. Ibrahim spirit will always be beside the Somali Fighters in the Ogaden.
Sh. Ibrahim Abdalla left behind four boys and four girls and their off springs who reside in Kenya, UK, USA and Ireland.
Some of the Books Sh. Ibrahim wrote are
1. The Third Defeat of the Abyssinians -1982 in Arabic
2. Explaining the History (of the Struggle). Somali & Arabic 1992
3. Explaining the History (of the Struggle). Somali & Arabic 1992
4. Ogadenia Stops the Ethiopians- Somali 1996
5. The Sum of Books (History of the Struggle) 2001.
To hear the death of a freedom-fighter, a peace-maker, a nationalist, an author, and a spiritual leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Abdalla Mah, hurts not only the people of Ogaden but the rest of the Ethiopians, the freedom lovers. He might not have achieved his dream – to improve the lives of his people in Ogaden, but he had sown the seeds of freedom in that virgin land of Ogaden, and it is up to the young Ogadens to cultivate, to water, to guard and to protect those seeds of democracy and freedom until they grow, bloom, and bear fruits in thousands that will feed and strengthen the people of Ogaden.
O Ogaden, you have lost one of your beloved sons!
May the Almighty God comfort his family, his close friends, and especially his Ethiopian Ogadenes!
God Bless His Soul!!!
Among the comments listed here, I found the one by Jemal to be something interesting. In fact, very interesting. I would like to hear a response by someone who witnessed the battles ONLF fought against the Derg army. I will not accept any so-called battled ‘waged’ by the morbid and murderers WSLF bandits or most fittingly Ziad Barre’s hirelings.
Elias
How old are you? it is a pity you will die like this old man without visiting your motherland. You are very eager to see the EPRDF to fall soon so that you can visit your country which is unthinkable. No way out. It is already controlled. You should have tried your best before woyane came to power.What is astonishing is that you still believe the dying Eritrean government will help you remove woyane…that is very childish. you don’t know that we crushed in Badme in a way that they have never expected and never seen in their struggle. Because like you they had wrong assumtion- which is called as miscalculation. They thought Ethiopia is divided as you are thinking now, the woyane had no any public support-but only the Tigreans.Then if only the Tigreans they thought they can smash them and humuliate. But for this tiny, poor and coward Eritreans very few soldiers can smash them to death. Therefore, please don’t trust the dying dictator of Eritrea to help you topple woyane. Woyane is so so strong currently that no body in Africa can defeat them. The rebel groups in Ethiopia and Eritrean army are teethless dogs that we can kick them with legs. I know you cannot post this but you read and feel happy. You are fighting for democracy-free speech but you don’t allow others to hold different opinion ..in this case Meles is much better than the extreme groups.
really a sad news
My friend Gere,
Why are you so much concerned about someone’s age? Why do you think it is “unthinkable” to go back to Ethiopia and visit some Ethiopian friends? Even if one goes to Ethiopia, what does he benefit but to see misery, poverty, injustice, corruption, prostitution, and diseases? That is what you have there under your master Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi) rotten regime.
Don’t you know, my friend that Eritreans are Ethiopians and Ethiopians are Eritreans? Please avoid creating hatred between the two sister countries.
Your King Meles has no place to go: the West has avoided him, and the Ethiopian people don’t like him because he has sold the Gondar land to Sudan, for he is scared of the people of Sudan may attack him at any time. He is surrounded on all sides by the Ethiopian freedom fighters, and no country is going to accept him if he applies for an asylum; his wickedness has become known all over the world, and the only choice left for him is to commit suicide like Adolf Hitler.
Brothers Assate gettu and Gere,
We all know Ethiopia is in grave danger; we are loosing lands that are inherently ours on a year by year basis; we have an economy that is rosy on IMF’s and world bank’s data base but quite the contrary on the ground. Ethiopia is surrounded by countless enemies frome the four corners of the country majority of them created by non other than the lame duck dictator and his comarades in crime in Arat killo. I assure you brothers that the regime’s days are nearing to an end, but what troubles me the most is, do we, as Ethiopians have a post meles and co. strategy as a unified people? are we so obsessed just for the mere fall of EPRDF? how are we going to tackle the issue of Ogaden? Oromia? and not to mention the pin head Esayas Afewerki and his deep seeated anti Ethiopian stance? Sure I love to see, an Ethiopia free of bandas and sellouts, but in the process of dismantling these anti elements, my worst fear is, we may yet install another dictator bent on continuing the tradition of despots. I would like to be proved wrong however on reasons that are tangible and plausaible that post EPRDF is free of bandas and anti Ethiopian elements. As a poroud and patriot Ethiopian I am assured by the history of my fore-fathers that Ethiopia will continue to exist for centuries for God has kept us for this long against all kinds of odds. God is great!
THANK YOU ASSTA
It would help us all if some of us lower their temperament and have better manners. Insulting others who happen to have different opinion than yours wouldn’t win you to bring them to your fold.
*It may help some of us to know that ONLF’s struggle is a continuation of that of WSLF as WSLF’s was a continuation of OLF’s and in fact the deceased leader was a Central Committee member of WSLF and others who formed ONLF with him held positions in WSLF. The difference between ONLF and WSLF is that the Ogadenis felt that WSLF was held hostage by Siad Barre and that it was almost impossible to have a meaningful struggle without first freeing themselves from the manipulation and shackles of Somalia , hence the birth of ONLF. Apart from Somalia’s factor and the semantics, ONLF and WSLF broadly shared the political aspiration of the Ogadenis i.e to be respected as others, to have a say in their own destiny and lead a decent life in their own land- not too much too ask. And therefore a major contributor in the fight against the DERG.
For your information ONLF is NOT necessarily eager to be part of Somalia or greater Somalia and is NOT longing to divorce Ogaden from Ethiopia as some of you may like to label them but would not entertain the status qua either.
Of course, some may disagree with me and are absolutely free to do so but, without belittling the significant role played by all opposition /Liberation Fronts, I firmly believe that the Ogaden war of 1977-1978 was the main reason for the downfall of both the dictatorial regimes of Siad Barre and Mingistu Haile Mariam. For all practical purposes, both regimes never recovered from that war and although continued to exist for the following decade they as if on life support merely staggered to their eventual downfall. But then one would not be proud of Somalia invading Ethiopia in the name of Ogaden.
*AS for calling ONLF as khat addicts and not knowing what they are fighting for, I thought it cheap shot and insensitive. First, not all of them chew khat,if any, and second I am sure that many of us have other habits such as smoking cigaretts or drinking different types of alcohol, etc.
Millions of people are supporting ONLF and therefore is ludicrous to suggest that they don’t know what they are fighting for.
It better to present useful ideas when one disagrees other’s opinion. Insult never replaces or defeats ideas!.
*In different Ethiopian websites some of us invariably accuse the so called poor and small Eritrea for all the ills in Ethiopia of 80+million. It seems that if a meteorite falls in a far away corner of Ethiopia, very far from Eritrea, some will always accused it of Eritrea just like Arabs accuse everything on Isreal. This amazes me. It is self defeatism and lack of self confidence. It is deplorable and shouldn’t be part of Ethiopian psychic.
*Some of us boast of having the strongest army of all of Africa. That is good. But I wish we could break the recurrent, predictable and avoidable cycle of famine that claims millions of precious lives of our citizens. Wouldn’t it be nice if we can feed ourselves, take care of our weak and provide our people with the basic necessities of life as decent human beings. For God’s sake, Ethiopia shouldn’t be synonymous with famine and shame!.
*As for Meles Zenawi having public support during war with Eritrea, that is not different from saying that Mingistu ruled Ethiopia with popular wish of Ethiopians or that Robert Mugabe, who has been hosting Mingistu Haile Mariam for the last 17 years, is in power in Zimbabwe because Zimbabwians want him to stay in power for life. The fact is Meles Zenawi is a ruthless dictator and he sends Ethiopian army to wherever he likes regardless of the merit of the battle- ground. It is the poor Ethiopian families who end up losing their loved ones for meaningless and useless wars.
To Allah we belong and to Him we shall all return.may the Merciful and Almighty God shower His mercy on marxuum Sheikh Ibrahim and bestow his family patience.He was a brave and God-feating man who wanted his people to have their full human rights.
To Allah we belong and to Him we shall all return.may the Merciful and Almighty God shower His mercy on marxuum Sheikh Ibrahim and bestow his family patience.He was a brave and God-fearing man who wanted his people to have their full human rights.