By Staff2-image

Several Ogaden Somali officials of the SPDP party accused the Ethiopian government of favoring the Oromia region over their Somali region for development projects and investments. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals and denounced the “unfair” federal budget distribution between states of Ethiopia.

A Somali delegation recently visited Bishoftu and other Oromia towns to exchange views and discuss regional economic cooperation. The Jigjiga delegation visited an underground tunnel for a subway train under construction and the half-billion dollar six lane Addis-Adama expressway in Oromia, the first tolled expressway in East Africa.  According to one Somali Peoples Democratic Party (SPDP) official, “going to Oromia felt like visiting a different country.” He said Oromia is becoming the most advanced state in Ethiopia due to it receiving the highest federal subsidy.

Observers say there is a growing animosity between the SPDP and the Oromo OPDO party since SPDP’s application to join the EPRDF ruling party coalition was rejected.

The imbalanced development has also created more animosity between the two regional states. Oromia is reportedly experiencing “industrial revolution” with several new industrial zones created to tackle the widespread unemployment and overdependence on agriculture. Meanwhile, the new Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) has been praised internationally for empowering southern and Oromo farmers. According to IMF, the housing boom in Oromia’s “Addis Ababa-Adama Metropolitan Area” is said to be the largest construction boom in Africa.

However, the Somali region remains underdeveloped and unstable. Many somalis have complained about mismanagement of public resources, sectarian clan politics and widespread corruption in the Ogaden-Somali region of Ethiopia.

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1 COMMENT

  1. those clanish racist ogaden people have themselves to blame!!! the only reason why ogaden is so poor is because no investor will go there while the ONLF child killers still roam around….if i had extra money, i would rather invest in oromia or somaliland than in ogaden anyday even though i am somali..the only peaceful somali region in the world is somaliland

    • What happened to the peace and progress they talk about on the news 24/7? Even Siilaanyo says there is peace in the region. Or is it just state propaganda

  2. Is this meant to spread animosity between oromo and somali ppl or a joke? Ethiopia’S outlet tk other world happens to pass thru bishoftu and adama in oromia. So it should be given strategic importance. And don’t forget that oromia has 10 times population thsn somali and generate over 100 times revenue. What do you expect? Split the national budget equally among all regions with out taking do many things into account? Shocking comparison

  3. Folks, Only the “shewa” oromia is developinng, the rest of oromia has no investment! This is because shewa oromos and amaras get preferential treatment over muslim and protestant oromos

    • Tell the truth!!!!!!!! Orthodox shewa is still indirectly ruling ethiopia today

      Otherthan the tigray people, orthodox shewa oromo & amara still dominate our economy

      The rest of oromia is dirt poor like ogaden

  4. truely i felt like am on the skye when ever i saw such news which talking about the truth but what am suprising is mr abdi you addmited somaliland is a part of Ethiopia concerning ur comperation about the 2 regions wonderfull

  5. The first thing investors require is security. The Ogaden area people failed to understand
    how important security is for investment. The more the ogaden area allowed to be manipulated by foreign and some anti peace forces the more the area is going to be backward in terms of economy. The Ogaden area people tried everything except to create a secured area for investment to flourish. I believe the Ogaden area people must
    try peace and development as alternative for the first time in the region’s history to see what this combination is going to bring to the region. No where in the world violence and dispute brought prosperity to a region or a nation. Create peace you would harvest the fruit of peace or create havoc and live in poverty for generation. I think it is good to look inside rather than out side to solve problems. Ogaden region must solve its inside problem first before blame others to its problem. Create security for investors they will be at your door if not none one is going to be into a valance neighborhood with investment capital to be destroyed in few years. If Ethiopia and the Ogaden region keep peace to prospers the region as well as the country would move forward.

  6. By the way, Oromia regional state is the largest in Ethiopia- both in size and population, in case one forgot. The cities mentioned, such as Bishoftu and Adama, are closer to Addis. Peace and stability are additional factors.

  7. This ‘ jealousy’ might be for the betterment of Ogaden, for they will work twice as hard as they know what peace dividend is to gained. The cheap electricity being churned would have sufficed to create many industrial parks, along with abattoirs in that region whose proximity to the ports of entry is half as much. There is only a ‘ peaceful way’ for all vested inerests. cooperation along with genuine competition even if fueled by envy will benefit all. Investors flock where there is peace and monied folk value their security a million times more than the average person.

  8. All these industrial parks and freeways are built to suck the resources of oromia, new freeways are all tolled money making machines for people in power. It is obviously true that the south eastern part of country is been run down because of their religion be aware that Oromo and Somali people have more in common and should not be made an enemy for one another. There will be no Ethiopia without Oromia which is the largest in size and population and much of the country’s resources comes from OROMIA region.