Tue Dec 17 11:21:09 UTC 2024: ## Former Ethiopian Rebels Struggle for Peace After Decades of War
**Mogadishu, Somalia** – Years after a 2018 peace deal ended decades of conflict in Ethiopia’s Ogaden region, former rebels, many of them women, are grappling with a difficult transition to civilian life. Hinda Aden, a former fighter with the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), shared her harrowing experiences, highlighting the enduring physical and psychological scars of war.
Aden, who joined the ONLF in 2002, described brutal encounters with Ethiopian forces, including her first combat experience in 2006, where several of her comrades, including fellow female fighters, were killed. The ONLF’s struggle, rooted in the colonial division of Somali territories in 1948, evolved from a Mogadishu-backed effort into a grassroots rebellion led by Ogaden Somalis themselves. Despite a 2018 peace agreement brokered in Asmara, Eritrea, the desire for self-determination among Ogaden Somalis continues to be a point of contention with the Ethiopian government.
Aden’s personal journey reveals the profound challenges faced by former rebels. She witnessed the killings of relatives, endured imprisonment and torture, and even experienced the forced disappearance and likely rendition of her husband by Somaliland authorities to Ethiopia. Her story underscores the long-term consequences of conflict, including physical illness, loss of livelihood, and social exclusion.
Many former female fighters are finding solace and support in organizations like Hormud, a women’s group formed in 2019 by 68 former ONLF female rebels. Hormud provides a space for healing, community, and mutual support, addressing the psychosocial needs and basic necessities of its members. However, experts warn that without targeted government reintegration programs, ex-combatants will continue to struggle to reintegrate into society. Aden’s concluding statement – “The guns have gone silent but we’re still uncertain about what the future holds” – encapsulates the ongoing struggle for peace and normalcy faced by many former Ogaden rebels.
First Piper 