ONLF Denounces Call For Armed Struggle, Recommits To Peace Deal With Fed

Renewed natural gas concession at heart of discontentment

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has denounced a call from some of its senior members, including its chairperson, to backtrack on a peace deal with the federal government and rekindle armed struggle in the country’s east.

The ONLF executive committee issued a statement on April 2, 2025, denouncing Chairperson Abdirahman Mahdi’s call to instigate armed struggle against the federal government.

“ONLF remains committed to upholding the 2018 peace agreement with the federal government of Ethiopia, and will continue engaging in the country’s political process peacefully,” reads the statement.

ONLF, alongside other armed groups like the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and Ginbot 7, were engaged in armed struggle against the former EPRDF regime, operating out of Eritrea.

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The groups returned to Ethiopia to take part in peaceful political activity in 2018, as part of the reforms instituted during the political transition of that year. Parliament also voted to rescind their designation as terrorist groups.

However, over the past few months, a faction of ONLF reportedly based in neighboring countries has moved to take up arms again, while other members of the party have expressed commitment to peaceful politics.

The ONLF faction led by Mahdi has issued two statements in the past month, accusing the federal government and the Somali regional administration led by Mustafe Omer of working with foreign entities to “plunder Somali resources.” The statement was referring to a natural gas concession granted to Poly-GCL, a Chinese multinational.

The faction claims that officials at the Somali Energy and Mining Bureau met with representatives of Poly-GCL in March to discuss the advancement of plans to extract natural gas from the region.

Last June, the federal government reversed its decision to strip the Chinese firm of its natural gas concession nearly two years after the permit was revoked by the Ministry of Mines due to production delays.

Poly-GCL, a joint venture between the Chinese Poly Group Corporation and Hong Kong’s Golden Concord Group, was first granted a concession to explore and produce natural gas in the Somali region in 2013.

Despite the accusations from Chairman Mahdi, the ONLF executive committee says that “pursuing violence for political gain is not in the best interest of the Somali people, who are enjoying the peace dividend, stability and political autonomy.”

ONLF executive committee disclosed “it will soon meet and take appropriate legal measures to ensure irresponsible actions of an individual does not affect the legality and continued political activity of the party.”

According to The Reporter sources, the party is worried that the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) might take legal actions against the party, following Mahdi’s call for violence. The sources also disclosed that NEBE is looking into the matter.