Somalia’s Jubbaland State President Ahmed Islam Madobe on Saturday initiated talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed to secure the release of jailed ONLF leader Abdikarim Muse Qalbi-Dhagah, Radio Dalsan reports.
Madobe was on Sunday granted permission to visit Qalbi-Dhagah at a Prison in Addis Ababa.
A source close to the Jubbaland delegation in Ethiopia told Radio Dalsan that Madobe had requested the new Ethiopian Prime Minister to release the ONLF leader referring to Qalbi Dhagah as “my constituent”.
Qalbi Dhagah was renditioned from Somalia to Ethiopia on August 28 2017 by the Somalia government following an earlier agreement with Addis Ababa that designated the rebel leader as a “terrorist”.
Farmaajo administration came under public criticism following the rendition.
“Rumours have been around for a while Ethiopia in talks with Somali allies seeking release of Qalbi Dhagax. This is first concrete sign. Very likely PM Abiy administration will do so to keep Jubbaland on side. But might it embarass FGS who handed him over in the first place?” Rashid Abdi a regional analysts tweeted.
“Anyone who thinks this political stunt was not intended to humiliate the Somali parliament & expose the so-called central gov’t (betrayers of public trust) should wait several more months till #QalbiDhagax is appointed as President of Kilil 5″ foreign policy commentator Abukar Arman tweeted.
A Parliament commission appointed to investigate the matter termed the rendition “illegal”.
A free Qalbi -Dhagah will mean a plus for Madobe’s public support.
