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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Fri Nov 26 2010 - 08:59:45 EST
Ethiopia's ONLF rebels say killed 35 govt troops
Fri Nov 26, 2010 1:14pm GMT
* Region is eyed for potential oil and gas reserves
* Government says claim propaganda based on lies
By Aaron Maasho
ADDIS ABABA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Rebels in Ethiopia's Ogaden region said on
Friday they had killed 35 government troops in three days of fighting, a
charge dismissed by the government.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) wants autonomy for the ethnic
Somali-dominated province, which is drawing interest from foreign firms who
think its deserts might hold significant oil and gas deposits.
The group said in a statement that hundreds of civilians were tortured by
government troops in November after they were displaced from their
localities.
"A brigade has engaged the Ethiopian Army on multiple fronts around Degahbur
from November 23 to 25. They lost 35 soldiers in the operation, with many
wounded," the ONLF said.
"This operation was to disrupt the Ethiopian government's new strategy of
evicting people from their habitat and confiscating their properties, then
taking them to killing centres," the group said.
Government spokesman Shimelis Kemal dismissed the claim.
"What happened was that the army was conducting a mop-up operation to get
rid of bandits. Six of their members were killed while two were captured,"
he told Reuters by phone.
Ethiopia says the Ogaden basin may contain gas reserves of 4 trillion cubic
feet and major oil deposits.
The ONLF routinely claims victories over the army. The government has
admitted to small skirmishes in the past year but Prime Minister Meles
Zenawi said the ONLF had been defeated.
Ethiopia signed a peace deal in October with a faction of the ONLF, although
another division of the group called the deal "irrelevant".
"They (ONLF) have been crushed. This is a splinter group that is limited to
highway robberies and nothing more," Shimelis said. Addis Ababa says the
ONLF are "terrorists" supported by regional rival Eritrea.
(Editing by David Clarke and Jan Harvey)
(For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues,
visit: <http://af.reuters.com> af.reuters.com)
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