Flag of the ONLF
Territories inhabited by ethnic Somalis
The 'Ogaden National Liberation Front' ('ONLF') ()(
Somali: 'Jahbadda Wadaniga Xoreenta Ogadenia', 'JWXO'), is a separatist rebel group fighting to make the region of
Ogaden in eastern
Ethiopia an independent state. Because Ogaden is populated by many ethnic
Somalis, the ONLF claims that Ethiopia is an occupying government. However the Ogaden people are represented in the Ethiopian government, including by the opposition party SPDP - Somali Peoples Democratic Party. The ONLF is composed mainly of members of the
Ogaden clan.
The armed wing of the ONLF is the Ogaden National Liberation Army (ONLA). Some analysts argue that the OHRC, a human rights organization controlled by ONLF supporters, is its diplomatic wing assisting ONLF's foreign relations with western countries, using selective human rights assessments to benefit its secession aspirations.
[1] Generally, ONLF is designated a terrorist group by the Ethiopian government.
History
Founded in
1984 by
Abdirahman Mahdi, the Chairman of the
Western Somali Liberation Movement Youth Union, Mohamed Ismail Omar (
WSLF), Sh. Ibrahim Abdalla (WSLF), Abdi Ibrahim Geelle (WSLF-Trade Union), Abdirahman Yusuf Magan (WSLF) and Abdullahi Muhumed Sa'di-all (WSLF), Sulub Ali Abas (ONLF faction) and hidden members from different Somali separatists factions, the ONLF is currently led by Chairman
Mohamed O. Osman.
The ONLF fought against the
Derg, the military dictatorship of
Mengistu Haile Mariam, but was not allied to the
Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the guerrilla movement led by Ethiopia's current prime minister,
Meles Zenawi.
[2]
ONLF was formed after the defeat of Somalia in the
1977 Ogaden War. ONLF systematically recruited WSLF members and replaced WSLF in the Ogaden as the WSLF support from Somalia dwindled and finally dried up in the late eighties. By
1993 ONLF fully consolidated its position among ethnic Somalis in Ogaden. After the Mengistu regime fell, the ONLF joined the government but then left it when the Meles government launched its crackdown against the group in 1993 for advocating substantial autonomy or independence, both of which were permitted under Ethiopia's new constitution.
[3]
The ONLF announced elections in December
1992 for the Somali District Five in Ethiopia, and won 80% of the seats of the local parliament. ONLF nominated the candidates for the district's presidency and vice-presidency and the Executive body and the parliament elected them in a majority vote. ONLF elected officials ruled the territory until the end of the charter period. Afterwards, the Ethiopian government pushed for a constitution since the former was a transitional period. In addition to ONLF there were/are other parties including SPDP - Somali Peoples Democratic Part - which eventually won more seats and dominated the politics. The Ethiopian government was then accused by ONLF of suppressing its members, while ONLF was accused of killing other Somali politicians and elders. Around 1995, ONLF's diplomatic wing well known as Ogaden Human Rights Committee (OHRC) was established.
[4] This human rights organization, widely regarded as being partisan, also uses its connections to demand international condemnation of all government reactions to ONLF's insurgency.
[5][6]
The ONLF continues to operate in the Ogaden
as of 2006. The Ethiopian military has stepped up its actions against ONLF following the organizations stated that it would attack the Malaysian oil company
Petronas, which plans to extract oil from the
Ogaden Basin. Even though there are some developments including a new university in the Somali state region, new schools, hospital and somali language television programs, full development has been restrained in the area because of the fighting between ONLF and government forces. A Somali mayor of a very poor town called Gode once said in an interview, "The ONLF is the only barrier for development in the region because they are burning everything that we build here."
[7] Due to the nomadic nature of the natives and due to the ONLF insurgency, the Ethiopian government is said to spend very high amount of budget for the infrastructure development of the Ogaden region despite the government getting proportionally very low tax revenue from the locals.
[8]
In
2005 Ethiopia proposed peace talks with ONLF. ONLF accepted on the condition that talks be held in a neutral country and with the presence of a neutral arbitrar from the international community, but the talks broke down due to Ethiopia's insistence that the two parties meet directly in a location in or around the Horn of Africa. ONLF became a part of the
Alliance for Freedom and Democracy on
May 22 2006 but the alliance has not achieved any progress since its creation.
[9]
On
12 August,
2006, 13 members of the ONLF were killed and several commanders were claimed captured as they crossed into Ethiopia from Somalia.
[10] The ONLF repudiated this claim, stating that it was intended to reassure prospective oil prospecting companies from Malaysia and China that Ethiopia is in control of the Ogaden territory.
[9]
Ogadenia confusion
Since the insurgency to separate this region began many decades ago, the labeling of this southeastern area of Ethiopia has been controversial. On its part, the ONLF labeled the whole Somali region "Ogadenia" in reference to its Ogaden sub-clan that makes up the highest percentage of the region.
[12]However, many other Somali clans and sub-clans reside in the area and animosity between the Ogadenis of ONLF and other Somalis in the area remains very deep rooted. In fact, the ONLF accused the Ethiopian government for exploiting this difference between the various Somali clans in southeastern Ethiopia to its advantage. However, the ONLF still claims ownership of other clan territories and uses the word "Ogadenia," igniting clan hegemony accusations from other Somali clans, sub-clans as well as sub-sub-clans. Secondly, in contrast to the Somalia country that was created in 1960 by its founding father
Aden Abdullah Osman Daar[13], a country by the name of Ogadenia never existed and remains a controversial matter between most Somalis.
Effects on Ethiopia & the Somali Civil War
Main articles: War in Somalia (2006–present)
On
November 28,
2006, the ONLF threatened that it would not allow Ethiopian troops to stage into Somalia from their territories.
[14]
On
December 23, the ONLF claimed to have attacked an Ethiopian column near
Baraajisale heading to Somalia, destroying 4 of 20 vehicles, inflicting casualties and driving the convoy back.
[15] But no independent sources confirmed the attack.
on
January 10,
2007, ONLF condemned Ethiopia's entry into the
War in Somalia (2006-present), stating that Melez Zenawi's invasion of Somalia demonstrates that his government has been an active participant in the Somali conflict with a clear agenda aimed at undermining the Somali sovereignty.
[16] However the Somalia government thanked the Ethiopian government for its assistance in Mogadishu.
On
January 15, ONLF rebels attacked Ethiopian soldiers in Qabri-Dahar, Garbo, and Fiiq. Five Ethiopian soldiers and one ONLF rebel have been reported killed.
[17]
According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, "As of 2007, human-rights groups and media reports accuse Ethiopia -- a key partner in Washington's battle against terrorism in the volatile Horn of Africa -- of burning villages, pushing nomads off their lands and choking off food supplies in a harsh new campaign of collective punishment against a restive ethnic Somali population in the Ogaden, a vast wilderness of rocks and thorns bordering chaotic Somalia"
[18] However the
United Nations said the reports of aid blockade were completely wrong. The United Nations' WFP said it "does not consider the government is blockading the Somali region" and said that distributions of WFP food are under way in all vital regions. Yet, the UN also said that military operations in the area have restricted commercial trade and the movement of aid, which could lead to a humanitarian crisis.
[19]
Abole Raid, subsequent conflict
Main articles: Abole raid,
2007 Ogaden conflict
On
April 24,
2007, members of the ONLF attacked a Chinese-run oil field in
Abole,
Somali Region, killing approximately 65 Ethiopians and 9 Chinese nationals.
[20] The ONLF claimed it had "completely destroyed" the oilfield.
[21] Most of the Ethiopians killed in the attack were daily laborers, guards and other support staff. Some members of the Ethiopian security officials were also killed during the surprise attack. It was the most deadly single attack by the ONLF.
[22] On
April 27, Ethiopian government spokesperson reported that ONLF rebels had detonated a "grenade," killing one person who was attending a funeral of family member killed during the prior attack.
[23]
Shortly after the attack, the
Ethiopian Army launched a
military crackdown in Ogaden.
Somali deaths
A grenade attack by ONLF rebels in the Somali region of Ethiopia claimed the lives of at least 11 Somalis.
[24] During a national holiday ceremony held at the Ogaden town of
Jijiga, the grenade thrown at the podium of the stadium also wounded Somali regional president
Abdulahi Hassan Mohammed in the leg.
[25] A government advisor blamed both the ONLF and said that Eritrea is responsible since it arms the ONLF. However the ONLF denied the accusations.
[26] The bombing triggered a huge stampede in the stadium which led to the death of around six children.
[27] Various Somalis, who are native to the Ogaden region, have always blamed the ONLF for killing their own people and assasinating Somali leaders.
[28]
Notes and references
1. The relationship of ONLF and OHRC discussed
2. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/07/02/ethiop16327.htm
3. [1]
4. The year 1995 marked ONLF's human rights wing entity labeled OHRC
5. [2]
6. OHRC condemns Ethiopia and demands the UN put a referrendum for Ogaden seccession
7. ONLF and development issues
8. Addis Ababa government uses significantly more money into Ogaden for roads and other services than it receives in taxes
9.
10. [3] Archived for subscribers only
11.
12. ONLF claims of Ogadenia
13. founding father of Somalia
14. Ogaden rebels to resist Ethiopian army if it attacks Somali-statement
15. Ogaden rebels destroy Ethiopian military convoy en route to Somalia
16.
17. ONLF rebels attack Ethiopian soldiers in 3 towns
18.
19. UN says there are no government aid blockades
20. Ethiopian Rebels Kill 70 at Chinese-Run Oil Field
21.
22. ONLF massacre detailed
23. "Ethiopian rebels attack family mourning victim of earlier rebel assault,", ''Associated Press'', April 27, 2007
24. ONLF throws grenade at crowd
25. ONLF attack injured Somali leader
26. ONLF denies the grenade attack
27. Six children killed in the rebel attack
28. Ogaden natives blame ONLF for deaths
External links
★
Ogaden community/Somali state website
★
Ethiopia: External and Internal Opponents,
Library of Congress
★
United Nations Emergency Unit for Ethiopia report, 1994
★
ONLF Website
★
Ogaden Community pro-ONLF Website
★
Ogaden news website
★
"In the shadow of Ethiopia's rebels" by Elizabeth Blunt, ''
BBC News'',
14 August 2007
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