Rebel ONLF urges UN to reclaim control of humanitarian aid shipments to Ogaden

Feburary 22, 2008 — Humanitarian aid distribution to the people of Ogaden continues to be severely restricted by armed forces of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) led regime in Ethiopia. The small amounts of aid reaching our people is escorted by heavily armed TPLF troops who appear to be making the decision on what aid is distributed and to whom. These decisions are motivated by political considerations instead of humanitarian need. The regimes military control of international humanitarian assistance in Ogaden is taking place in plain view employees of international agencies including the United Nations and is unacceptable. In Some cases TPLF Regime troops are selling food aid on the black market for personal gain.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) calls on the UN to immediately reclaim control of humanitarian aid shipments to Ogaden in order to prevent the continued use of humanitarian aid for political purposes. We further call upon the United Nations to follow through on the recommendations of its previous humanitarian assessment team mission to Ogaden which called for an independent investigation into human rights abuses in Ogaden.

It is morally repugnant for the TPLF regime to use humanitarian assistance as a political tool against our people.