ONLF rebels hail resumption of UN aid in Ogaden

November 7, 2007 –The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) welcomes the decision of the United Nations to resume
humanitarian activities in Ogaden which had been
halted due to the blockade imposed by the Ethiopian
regime led by the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front
(TPLF). Despite this welcome announcement, it remains
to be seen whether the TPLF regime will allow the
United Nations to operate in a free and unfettered
manner in Ogaden. The TPLF regime is still unjustly paranoid of international humanitarian organizations as demonstrated by the fact that it continues to deny the ICRC access to the Ogaden.

It is indeed an unfortunate irony that the same innocent people the United Nations intends to resume feeding continue to be killed by the TPLF regimes armed forces as they execute their genocidal policy in Ogaden. As such the ONLF also calls upon the United Nations to expedite the constitution of the UN fact finding team to investigate human rights abuses in line with the recommendations made by the recent humanitarian assesment mission to Ogaden.

It is only through a four pronged approach of lifting
the ban on international journalists, protecting
civilians from the regimes armed forces, resuming and
increasing humanitarian assistance and seeking a
comprehensive political settlement to the Ogaden
conflict through an internationally mediated dialogue
that the plight of the people of Ogaden can be
best addressed.

Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)