Mekelle፡Telaviv, Nairobi, Pretoria, London, (Tigray Herald).
‘No One Was Touched Here’: Somali Regional State Praised for Protecting Tigrayans During Genocide War
By Staff Writer, in Jigjiga
In a rare moment of national solidarity amid one of Ethiopia’s darkest chapters, the Somali Regional State has been widely praised by Tigrayan journalists, activists, and politicians for its protection of Tigrayan civilians during the two-year genocidal war in Tigray.
As the conflict engulfed northern Ethiopia from November 2020 to November 2022, thousands of ethnic Tigrayans across the country were arbitrarily detained, harassed, or killed. In major cities like Addis Ababa, Gondar, Bahir Dar, and Dessie, Tigrayans were forcibly disappeared, held in makeshift defamation camps, and had their properties confiscated or destroyed. Yet, in the Somali Region located in the east of the country Tigrayans found unexpected safe.
“No one was arrested here simply for being Tigrayan,” Somali Regional President Mustafa Omer reportedly told a group of visiting Tigrayan politicians and journalists at his palace in Jigjiga. “Irrespective of tribe or religion, the law protects all citizens equally in this region.”
That commitment was echoed in action. During the war, Somali authorities resisted the wave of ethnic profiling that swept through federal institutions and other regional governments. There were no reports of mass arrests of Tigrayans. No businesses were shuttered. No homes raided. While federal security forces and regional militias elsewhere participated in, or turned a blind eye to, ethnic targeting, Somali Region’s security forces maintained a different stance.
For many Tigrayans, the contrast was deeply moving.
“President Mustafa stood on the right side of history,” said Dawit Kebede a Tigrayan Journalist who was detained in Addis Ababa. “He didn’t allow the madness to take hold in his region. He deserves the respect of our people.”
During a recent visit to Jigjiga, Tigrayan Politician H.E. Keria Ibrahim formally expressed their gratitude in an emotional meeting held at the regional state palace. Traditional songs of blessing were sung, and symbolic gifts were presented to President Mustafa as tokens of appreciation for what many described as “a rare light in a time of darkness.”
Activists point out that the Somali Region’s restraint was not accidental it reflected President Mustafa’s long-standing vision for inclusive governance and justice. A former humanitarian worker turned reformist politician, Mustafa has repeatedly emphasized the dangers of ethnic chauvinism and the need to rebuild Ethiopia on a foundation of equality and mutual respect.
“In a country where ethnic identity has often been manipulated for violence, he chose principle over populism,” said one Tigrayan journalist who asked not to be named for safety reasons. “That took real courage.”
The gratitude expressed by Tigrayans is more than symbolic. Many now view the Somali Region as a potential model for what coexistence could look like in a deeply fractured nation. While calls for justice and accountability over the Tigray Genocide continue, the Somali Region stands as a rare exception an example of restraint, humanity, and moral clarity amid a crisis that has left deep scars across Ethiopia.
As Ethiopia struggles with its post-war reckoning, the quiet heroism of the Somali Region and President Mustafa Omer has not gone unnoticed.
Following the signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement in November 2022, the Somali Region has continued to uphold its welcoming approach. The writer observed that many Tigrayans have since moved to Jigjiga and other towns in the region to restart their lives. They are running businesses, working freely, and integrating into the community without fear or police harassment a stark contrast to the lingering discrimination still reported in other parts of Ethiopia.
