From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Wed Feb 03 2010 - 16:47:41 EST
O.N.L.F Statement On African Union Summit
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 13:43 Ogaden Online
As the heads of State of the African Union (AU) convene, the Ogaden
National Liberation Front (ONLF) wishes to note the continuing suffering
of the people of Ogaden at the hands of the host nation of the ongoing
AU summit. The Ethiopian regime has a well documented and systematic
campaign of persecution against the people of Ogaden. This campaign
mainly targeting our civilian population is deliberately concealed from
the outside world as a result of the regimes policy of denying entry to
all independent media and human rights investigators. As human rights
watch in it's recent report "Collective Punishment. War Crimes and
Crimes against Humanity in the Ogaden..." the "Ethiopian armed forces
have committed numerous violations of human rights, violations of the
laws of war that amount to war crimes, and crimes against humanity
against the civilian population. These have included widespread forced
relocations of civilians, destruction of their villages, willful
killings, and summary executions, and torture, rape, and other forms of
sexual violence."
Despite widespread reporting on these war crimes only a few hundred
kilometers from the seat of the AU, the body has been unwilling and
unable to even send a fact finding mission under the auspices of its
Peace and Security Council (PSC) to independently investigate gross
violations of human rights and war crimes. Such a fact finding mission
was recommended by the United Nations humanitarian fact finding mission
to Ogaden in September 2007 which specifically noted the need for an
"independent investigation" into the human rights situation in Ogaden.
Over two years after the call for a second fact finding team focused on
human rights, the people of Ogaden continue to suffer at the hands of
this regime with no international action. The regime continues
extrajudicial killings, torture and other war crimes targeting innocent
civilians in Ogaden. In addition, the regime continues to utilize food
aid provided by the international community as a political weapon
denying aid to civilians in large areas of Ogaden due to their political
views.
The African Union represents a body of hope for the continent. It was
founded on principles upholding the rights of all peoples to determine
their political future and to live free of repression. It is therefore
Ironic that the seat of the African Union is allowed to continue to
pursue a policy of systematic persecution with impunity.
The ONLF calls on the heads of State attending the AU summit to
recognize and address the continuing war crimes perpetrated by it's
member State, Ethiopia in Ogaden. The ONLF further calls upon the
African Union Peace and Security Council to immediately send a fact
finding team to Ogaden in line with the recommendations of the United
Nations in 2007.
The ONLF further calls on the African Union to realize an international
humanitarian corridor into Ogaden to ensure that humanitarian assistance
reaches the our people in a free and unfettered manner.
The AU bears a responsibility to respond to the suffering of the people
of Ogaden and recognize the Ogaden conflict of one of Africa's long
lasting conflicts requiring immediate international and regional
intervention
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)
Contact: onlfpress@onlf.org This e-mail address is being protected from
spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://onlf.org/news.php
http://www.ogaden.com/hornnews/ogaden/650-onlf-statement-on-african-unio
n-summit
----[This List to be used for Eritrea Related News Only]----