Advocacy group urges foreign firms to cease oil exploration in Ethiopia’s Ogaden
August 3, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Resolve Ogaden Coalition (ROC), an exiled independent advocacy group, has called on all international oil companies in Ethiopia to stop exploration in the horn of Africa nation’s Ogaden region.
In a statement seen by Sudan Tribune, the group said “it unconditionally condemns the exploitation in the Ogaden region and its natural resources” urging all foreign oil firms to refrain oil and gas exploration activities until a political solution is maintained to the conflict in the oil promising region.
“Ogaden remains a battle zone, and until the Ogaden people’s right to self-determination is recognized, we urge PetroTrans to cease all oil exploration operations in the Ogaden and to recognize the plight of the people”.
“We urge all foreign oil companies – especially the Chinese oil and gas company PetroTrans – to refrain from undertaking any oil exploration missions in the Ogaden”.
The calls come after the Ethiopian government last month awarded the Calub and Hilala natural gas fields and eight exploration areas with a potential of reserve of four TCF (trillion cubic feet) to a Chinese oil and gas company, PetroTrans.
ROC argued that these companies serving to fill the coffers of Prime minister Meles Zenawi’s government to further intensify oppression against the Ogaden people, most of whom speak Somali.
“A responsible company like PetroTrans should not let its name to be tarnished with profits they gain from contested and repressed regions such as the Ogaden. We would like to remind PetroTrans that the revenues raised from their oil exploration in Ogaden will be used to enhance the Ethiopian government’s campaign of terror in the Ogaden” it said.
The group accused Ethiopian government of repeatedly refusing to engage in peace talks for a binding solution to crises on the region.
Resolve Ogaden Coalition advocates for the right to self-determination for the Somalis of the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia.
There are dozens of foreign oil firms hunting oil in the restive region in south eastern Ethiopia. However the companies are facing repeated threats of attack from the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a group that says it is still active in the region.
Ethiopia says the group is defeated and is no more threat to security in the region. A faction of the group signed peace pact with Ethiopia last year.
The ONLF, a separatist group founded in 1984 was responsibility for several attacks, including one on a Chinese-run oil field in 2007. The attack killed nine Chinese nationals and 65 Ethiopians. The Ethiopian government claims that the ONLF is supported by the Eritrean government, an allegation Asmara denies.
(ST)