Ogaden rebels rebuff claim by Ethiopia on peace deal
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
August 24,2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a separatist rebel group who fights for the eastern region’s right to self-determination has denied a recent statement from the Ethiopian government alleging that a peace accord with ONLF guerillas would be signed in October.
Speaking to the pro-government news agency, Walta Information Center, a National Security advisor to the Prime Minister, Abay Tsehaye then said that more than 20 senior members of the ONLF, who splinted from the front, have expressed their readiness to operate peacefully in accordance with country’s constitution and an agreement is likely to be signed in October at the latest.
However, spokesperson of the rebel group Hussein Nor from Doha told allvoices.com that that the report from Ethiopia was baseless propaganda.
“We remember there was a man called Salahudin that once talked with Ethiopia in 2006. He took money from ONLF. But there is no any agreement between Ethiopia and ONLF,” said Hussein.
He added that there had not been any talks with Addis Ababa and no senior members of the ONLF had contacted the Ethiopian government.
Hussein vowed that his group would continue the armed struggle for the independence of the Somali Ogaden region stressing that there won’t be any peace agreement in future with Ethiopian government.
The rebel official further said that they had redoubled their clashes against the government army during the Ramadan month claiming they had seized 10 military camps of the Ethiopian troops including Alen camp, between Shilabo and Balanbal district of Galgudud region in central Somalia recently.
Last week, Ogaden rebels alleged killing more than 40 Ethiopian troops. However Ethiopian government has repeatedly rejected the claims of the group and says the rebels are defeated and no more a threat to peace and to the oil exploration efforts in the oil promising region.
Established in 1984 and now designated as terrorist group by the Ethiopian government, the ONLF has claimed responsibility for several attacks including an attack on a Chinese run oil field, which killed 9 Chinese and 65 Ethiopians in 2007.
Ethiopia says the Ogaden National Liberation Front is backed by the Eritrean government, an allegation Asmara denies.
(ST)