The Somali Region formed a large part of the pre-1995 provinces of Hararghe, Bale and Sidamo.

[citation needed][7] The 2007 Abole oil field raid, in which 72 Chinese and Ethiopian oilfield workers were killed, has led to a series of military reprisals against the rebel group ONLF Ogaden National Liberation Front.

[citation needed] Until its first-ever district elections in February 2004, Zonal and woreda administrators and village chairmen were appointed by the Regional government.

Senior politicians at the Regional level nominated their clients to the local government positions.

[8] Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), the Somali Region has a total population of 4,439,147, consisting of 2,468,784 men and 1,970,363 women; urban residents numbered 621,210 or 14% of the population, while rural residents numbered 3,817,937.

[11] According to the CSA, as of 2004[update], 38.98% of the total population had access to safe drinking water, of whom 21.32% were rural inhabitants and 77.21% were urban.

[12] Values for other reported common indicators of the standard of living for Somali as of 2005[update] include the following: 71.8% of the inhabitants fall into the lowest wealth quintile; adult literacy for men is 22% and for women 9.8%; and the Regional infant mortality rate is 57 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, which is less than the nationwide average of 77; at least half of these deaths occurred in the infants’ first month of life.

Except leban and siti provinces, Ogaden have the majority presence in all the other 9 zones including Fafan, shabeele kebridahar, Erer, Nogob and Doolo.

The Sacad Muse subclan of the Habr Awal have large settlements in the Fafan Zone where they respectively make up in Harshin, Hart Sheik, and Wajaale (Ethiopian Side) towns.

For nomadic inhabitants, the CSA provided two sets of estimates, one based on aerial surveys and the other on more conventional methodology:[22] West from Addis Ababa, Awash 572 km via Harar and Jijiga to Degehabur Somali Regional State has 3 international airport and 2 commercial airports.

The current Chief Administrator is Mustafa Muhummed Omer (Cagjar), elected on 22 August 2018.