Abdi Mohamud Omar (Abdi Ilay) is the oldest of three siblings (two sons and daughter) of his mother,Diib and the Lat eMohamud Omar. Although Abdi Ilay belongs to Qabridahar town as his sub-clans' traditional territory, he grew up in the Degahbur as his hometown, probably after his late father got married to Mrs. Deep. Reportedly, Mr. Ilay took his primary school in Degahbur town, where he dropped out grade six (6) in early 1990s and never returned back to schooling; though claimed later of attending distance higher education.

Then, Who’s Mr. Ilay?

Abdi Ilay as President of the Somali Regional State since 2010 is the only residue of 8 years of: political turmoil, humanitarian and human rights crises that shadowed throughout the Somali region where armed-conflict was going on since 1990s, plus less competitive regional governance and frequent interference or political dictation from the federal government or the ruling party – TPLF/EPRDF.

1. Background

Abdi Mohamud Omar, Abdi IlayorIna Ilayare the names belonging or commonly known to the controversial man of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State (Ogaden) nominal President and the then-Security Bureau head of the region itself.

Mr Abdi Mohamud Omar Originally hails from Hawiye Tribe of Abgaal Clan,Waceysle Sub-clan.

Hawiye is a Somali clan. Members of the clan primarily live in central and southernSomalia, in the Ogadenand the North Eastern Province(currently administered by Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively), and in smaller numbers in other countries. Like many Somalis, Hawiye members trace their ancestry to Irir Samaale.

According to Somali tradition, if someone lacks one of his/her anatomical organs such as eye, ear, leg or hand etc; it is common to call or name him/her through that adjective name. For instance, the Deaf man, the blind, the Lame man and others, are nicknames given to those lack concerning organs.

Therefore, Abdi’s father was named "Ilay” as the "one-eyed”. Besides to that, the third name of Abdi Mohamud Omar is "Ina Ilay” as shown above. Moreover, the word "Ina” which is Somali, explains as "the son/daughter of”. The name "Ilay” is the nickname of Abdi’s biological father, the late Mohamud Omar who lost one of his eyes during his lifetime.

Reportedly, the Late Mohamud was an easy-going, cool and less aggressive man who earned his income as livestock-selling broker in the Degahbur livestock markets since early 1990s. Mrs. Diib used to run small Tea Cafe or "Maqaaxi Shah” in her premises located around "Sheikh -Mu’min” mosque in the Laan-jalelo market of Degahbur town, to cover her family expenses since early 2000s.

2.Education and Work

Abdi Mohamud Omar (Abdi Ilay) is the oldest of three siblings (two sons and daughter) of his mother,Diib and the Lat eMohamud Omar.

Although Abdi Ilay belongs to Qabridahar town as his sub-clans’ traditional territory, he grew up in the Degahbur as his hometown, probably after his late father got married to Mrs. Deep. Reportedly, Mr. Ilay took his primary school in Degahbur town, where he dropped out grade six (6) in early 1990s and never returned back to schooling; though claimed later of attending distance higher education.

Despite his laziness in schooling, Mr. Ilay was quite active in attempting handcraft skills. In the era of the Derg regime in Ethiopia, Mr. Ilay had invented homemade telegram or two-way military radio -from discarded radios, which he used to attach with surrounding radios, mostly Degahbur area military telegrams including that of Kifle-Tor (military Sub-division camp). Later, the military searched the device and found it from Ilay’s home where he was arrested, but released soon after the military recognized that it is an attempt of no political or intention-oriented invention.

Ethiopian Electric and Power Cooperation’s branch office in Degahbur had informally employed Mr. Ilay from late 1990s asa Bill Collector. Nevertheless, the Corporation removed Mr. Ilay from the post after clashing with customers; and rumor of misuse and corruption from the Bill Collector came out. Since then, the company shifted Abdi’s career asan Electric-Pole Erectorto the town’s electricity mains where he was famously recognized since 2003.

3.Odd Behaviors

It is common for all human beings to offer the ever possible respect or care for their parents despite the race, ethnic, religion or class he/she comes from. Unfortunately, as the home of Abdi Ilay family is in the centre of Degahbur market, many people of Degahbur town were familiar and publicly narrated one to another "a very shameful or too immoral event”, which happened in the Abdi Ilay’s home, once in the evenings of 1999.

• "We were praying in the mosque –Shiekh Mu’min” for the Maghrib (Evening prayers) when we heard out loud noises [screaming and crying] from one of the neighbors, seeming as there is fighting among confrontations”, says A Wali – a close friend of Mr. Ilay at the time.
  • "As we finished the Maghrib, we all ran to the sound, and saw Abdi Ilay’s mother being covered with blanket, making sighs or moaning with her younger daughter - Halima Ilay”, adds Mr. wali.
  • "When the crowd asked to the younger daughter, who beat your mother? Halima replied; my brother - Abdi had beaten our mother as she adversely commented on his wife-to-be affairs”, narrates Mr. wali.

Not only AbdiWali tells this story, but also this event was among the most notable stories; people began to discuss or share this, in order to get some of his background story when Abdi ilay started his political ambitions from 2005.

4.Sycophantism

However, most interviewees commonly agree that Abdi Ilay has some positive friendship relations though he has sycophantism.

• "Abdi Ilay is someone committed to friendship as long as it does not threaten his ambitions; he would make sacrifice for friendship if necessary”,says AbdiFatah Naib. "He is someone always clear about whether he disagrees or agrees, not ambiguous one”, adds Abdifatah.
  • "Moreover, he is good at paying or offering what he has to his friends and the likes”, concludes Mr. abdifatah Hassan – now a refugee in Kenya who was a friend of Abdi Ilay from 1999 to 2004.

Furthermore, Mr. Hassan narrates that Abdi Ilay has a serious desire for leadership; to the extent he could pay at any cost.

• "In 2000 we joined voluntarily to a team (Jameeca) of Tabliiq, in one of the Degahbur neighborhoods. According to the basic principles of the group (the Tabliigh), units or the team that are (is) sent to go round the surrounding villages for calling on people to join the Da’wah and Islamic preaching, should have at least one spokesperson, one fluent preacher and one chairman as the latter has the last decision-making authority of all.
  • "Abdi Ilay, though it was his first time to join the group, he decisively endeavored to challenge the team leader (Mohamud Dagawayne) and tried to overtake the post violently, within a team of less than dozen in numbers”,explains Mr. Hassan.
• "In 2001 or months later from that incident [between Abdi Ilay and the cleric], the Tabliigh group was banned to operate in Degahbur by the military commander [Gacmagaab as his local name];
  • and also the cleric –Mohamud Dagawayne was among those arrested in military/police operations in Degahbur town after Ilay fabricated false charges against the Tabliigh Jameeca”,illustrates Mr. Hassan.

Closing Remarks:

Mr. Ilay [because of his adversity feeling] remained someone blaming his destiny of life, and attempts to capture any opportunity of achieving those he felt missed amidst having hatred to those he recognizes luckier than or those demanded to abuse.

By setting up the infamous militia – Liyu Police in the year of 2008, he’s among TPLF’s biggest achievement in the Ogaden – an achievement that missed to score by both HaileSelasse I and Mangistu HaileMariam; of getting indigenous body that implements their brutal subjugation on "Ogaden periphery” of making it submitted-in-shame to their centre Abyssinia. See the link of Human Rights Watch:

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/05/28/ethiopia-special-police-execute-10

However, one’s scrutiny shall be on, "not Mr. Ilay’s terrible debt of meeting the "Big DirtyAssignment”,but TPLF elites’ insincerity of taking the advantage of the disadvantaged one - into such maximum of doing lifetime dirty job". Moreover, none shall be lost to the images of Counter-insurgency infrastructure projects that’s done to make convinced the brutality scored by.