The current somali region President is an enigma. He is quite educated and knows the history of Ethiopia. Some say he is an intellectual. From his own writings, he has good understanding of the dynamic relationship between various ethnic groups in Ethiopia.
Shortly after he became president, the guy replaced his profile picture with that of his Xabashi teacher. It was a sign of things to come.
No group in Ethiopia is more distrusted by the Somali masses than the Xabashi group, aka old "Abyssinian". Yet Baldy, for some reason feels the need for some validation, acknowledgement, collecting accolades from "intellectuals". He took a group of Somali chieftains, some of his staff to listen to Xabashi professors tell them their "shared history" and the Ethiopian story. Some of the clan chiefs openly rebuked an "amara intellectual" who told them the Somalis were descendants of a lost Ethiopian king!
His tribal based supporters are attempting to control the narrative and frame it as a dialogue to correct buried "somali history" in Ethiopia. That Somali history needs this discussion in the Xabashi capitol reeks of servitude. It gives the weak, badly wounded Xabashi a power they do not have. .
He has given the opposition all the ammo they need to bring him down. The ONLF which already has good working relationship with the OLF, whose views are align with that of the Masses in all likelihood will come to power. The opening of their office in Addis is a way to calm any fears of sudden seismic shifts in the region.
Apart from clan loyalist, >90% have absolutely no interest in dealing or working with Xabashi. Every day they moan his administration allowing more churches to be built in Jigjiga. This is why 5 churches were burned at once due to the breakdown of law and order when Iiley was ousted. If we truly are to have real reconciliation. The Xabashi will need to vacate all lands given to them by Haile salasale in Harar, Jigjiga, all churches built by his administration built by force destroyed.
