Ethiopia’s Somali region restores its previous flag, changes name

Somali Regional State President Mustafa Omer. (Courtesy)

JIJIGA—The Somali regional parliament in Jijiga has on Friday voted to restore previous flag containing the symbolic blue triangle and white star.

The new Somali Regional State flag.(Courtesy)

Spearheading the reforms, the new president Mustafa Omer announced that the region would be now named the Somali Regional State (SRS).

“There is no contradiction between our Somali nationality and Ethiopian citizenship. We proudly uphold symbols of Somalinimo without abnegating our national responsibility. We are Somali Regional State (SRS): no prefix, no suffix. The original flag returns.” Omer wrote in his twitter account.

The parliament members have passed the change of the  name of the region and removed the name of Ethiopia in a parliament session.

They chose Hon. Abdi Mohamed Adan as the house speaker and Mr. Abdilahi Mohamed Said elected as the chairman of the General court.

President Mustafa faces formidable challenges addressing ethnic tensions and balancing Somali peoples’ desire for self-determination with their role within Ethiopia’s federalist government.

But Mustafa’s popular rhetoric and personal history have raised hopes that he’s the right person to lead the Somali region through a period of challenging transition.

In an interview with VOA’s Somali service, Omer said he will prioritize human rights in his new role.

“Since 1954, when the region came under Ethiopian rule, there was no democracy and human rights,” Mustafa said.

“Over 27 years, people in the region were living under harsh crimes against humanity, the most painful ones committed in the past 10 years, so we will restore human rights.” he added.

Jijiga residents have welcomed the announcement with enthusiasm and praised the disposing the region’s flag and the name employed in by the deposed leader, Abdi Iley.

The old version of the flag. (Courtesy)

The Iley regime had replaced the blue triangle and white star with a yellow triangle with a camel.