LONDON – Claims by the Ethiopian regime’s Communication Minister, Bereket Simon, that the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is “now in a state of crisis and very weak” can only be described as wishful thinking which is far from reality and bordering on fantasy.
The fact of the matter is that the ONLF’s operational capacity is now higher than at any point since the start of the organizations armed struggle. It is precisely because the Ethiopian regime seeks to conceal from the international community the widespread support the people of Ogaden have for the ONLF and the exponential growth of the ONLF’s military might that members of the international media are denied unfettered access to Ogaden.
The ONLF has defeated every major military campaign launched by the Ethiopian regime in Ogaden over the last two years and is on the offensive in all operational theaters in the Ogaden. Defections of the regime’s troops are on the rise and, in some areas, Ethiopian troops are selling their weapons to ONLF military commanders.
The most recent claim by the regime’s communication minister is clearly designed to instill a false sense of confidence in oil exploration companies which the regime is trying to lure back to Ogaden.
The communication minister’s claim that “the situation in Ogaden now is improving by the day” is a gross misrepresentation of the true state of affairs in Ogaden and demonstrates the regime’s continuing efforts to conceal the suffering it has inflicted on the people of Ogaden. It is also a response to growing international concern over the deliberate and systematic campaign of collective punishment, war crimes and genocide against the civilian population of Ogaden.
While the ONLF has left no stone unturned in a search for a just and peaceful settlement to the Ogaden conflict and still stands ready to enter into direct talks with the Ethiopian regime in the presence of a neutral third party mediator of international standing, the regime continues to choose a futile military solution in a bid to suppress the legitimate desire of the people of Ogaden to self-determination, development and democracy.
The fact of the matter is that there is no “round table” in Ethiopia, as the Minister claims, to discuss peace. The Ethiopian regime is, by all measures, a dictatorship with no respect for human or civil rights, it is a regime engaged in a deliberate and systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing against ethnic Somalis in the Ogaden.
The ONLF will continue to engage this regime wherever and whenever it enters Ogaden, we will also further strengthen our cooperation and coordination with other oppressed nations and members of the political opposition who respect our people’s legitimate rights to self-determination.
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)
Ogaden rebels on their last legs: government
ADDIS ABABA, Apr 6 (AFP) – A rebellion by ethnic Somali’s in Ethiopia’s southeastern Ogaden region has been significantly weakened, the government claimed Tuesday, ruling out any negotiations.
Communication Minister Bereket Simon said Addis Ababa’s military riposte and a dual approach of undermining the Ogaden National Liberation Front by boosting development initiatives and offering a rival political platform were paying off.
“Now that the development is on its way, the ONLF has lost too much ground. It is now in a state of crisis and very weak, very divided with many splinter groups,” he told a press conference.
“The situation in Ogaden now is improving by the day. That is the government assessment: that the ONLF will find itself in a difficult position,” Bereket said.
He said the rebels, whom Ethiopia alleges are supported by arch-foe Eritrea, were also buckling under the pressure of the military offensive launched in the aftermath of a deadly attack against a Chinese-run oil venture in the Ogaden.
“The last two years’ experience demonstrates that the ONLF has not been successful in military operations. On the contrary, the counter-insurgency operations by the government have been effective,” Bereket said.
Bereket added that the government had no intention to negotiating with the rebels, who have been fighting since 1984 and claim their oil-rich territory is systematically marginalised by the Christian-dominated regime.
“We have given them a chance to come to the round table and they have refused so far and preferred the military option. So now the government is not in a position to invite them to the round table,” he said.
“Whenever there is a possibility to get ONLF fighters, we’ll get them, as we have done with success in the past.”
