Ethiopia’s Ogaden rebels claim taking control of oil field
May 30, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), an ethnic Somali separatist group in eastern Ethiopia, said its forces have seized the Hilala gas field based in country’s eastern Somali region. However, the Ethiopian government has immediately rejected the rebel claims.
“Troops of the regime abandoned the field after being surrounded by our forces and determining their chances for survival were slim,” the separatist group said in a statement it’s late yesterday. “Those troops were given safe passage out of Hilala fields.”
There were no casualties, the group said. Despite the latest claims, Ethiopia has been saying that the group is defeated and is no more a threat at the region and oil exploration projects are well underway.
The Ethiopian government head of information, Bereket Simon, told Reuters the statement from the insurgent group was “a complete lie.”
“This is a well-protected area, no force could take it over, let alone the ONLF who we have driven to total disarray,” Bereket said. “They’re simply fabricating stories and trying to live on in the media. They just want to create news.”
The ONLF in its statment welcomed a report earlier this year that Petronas has suspended work in the region. The ONLF has fought against Ethiopian troops for decades.
The rebel group strongly argues that it will not allow mineral resources of the Ogaden people to be exploited by the current ruling government or any foreign firms.
On April 24, 2006, ONLF issued a threat to foreign companies against exploring for oil in their homeland, further warning them to refrain from entering into agreements with the Ethiopian government.
“So long as the Somali people of Ogaden are denied their basic rights to self-determination, the exploitation of natural resources in Ogaden for the benefit of the Ethiopian regime or any foreign firm will not be tolerated,” the rebel group said.
Exactly one year later, In April, 2007, the rebels claimed responsibility to an attack at a Chinese-run oil-field in northern Ogaden region which then killed 65 Ethiopians and nine Chinese workers.
The Chinese were employees of Zhongyuan Petroleum Exploration Bureau, a subsidiary of the huge Chinese oil company Sinopec, which had been hired by the Malaysian oil company Petronas to explore for oil and natural gas in Ogaden.
The ONLF in its statement yesterday welcomed a report earlier this year that Petronas has suspended work in the region. The ONLF has fought against Ethiopian troops for decades seeking independence from Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian government has long blamed the ONLF, for a number of attacks on government troops in the dry Ogaden region and in towns else where.
Designated as a terrorist group by Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian government accuses the ONLF of fighting a proxy war on behalf of Eritrea. An allegation Asmara rejects.
(ST)