Rights groups regularly accused Abdi's administration of abuses including torture during and after the fight with the insurgents. Last year, 58 people died and more than 250 were injured when violence broke out in Jijiga, capital of Somali Region. Abdi and the other officials were charged with "direct or indirect involvement" in instigating ethnic Somalis to take up arms against non-Somalis. Abdi, who appeared in court alongside five other political and security officials from his administration, was separately charged with attempting to "overthrow the constitutional order". Most of the officials were heads of departments in the regional government or in other senior political and security roles.

Source: Ethiopian News January 30, 2019 14:26 UTC