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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Sat Sep 03 2011 - 10:52:10 EDT
Ethiopian Forces, Rebels Clash in Ogaden Oil Exploration Region
Peter Heinlein | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
· September 03, 2011
Ethiopia and rebels in the restive Ogaden region have confirmed a deadly
clash this week in an area where a Chinese firm is exploring for oil. Each
of the two side's respective versions of the event differ sharply.
Details provided by both the Ethiopian government and rebels of the Ogaden
National Liberation Force [ONLF] are sketchy.
But they agree that clashes took place this week in Ethiopia’s Somali
region, between the main city, Jijiga, and the town of Degehabur, 150
kilometers to the south. The area is about 500 kilometers east of Addis
Ababa, where the Chinese firm PetroTrans is exploring for oil.
ONLF communiqué
An ONLF communiqué received by email Friday said 25 soldiers from an elite
Ethiopian army brigade had been killed, along with a few rebel fighters in a
battle last Tuesday. The statement said the army units had been escorting a
PetroTrans exploration team, and had been “dislodging farmers from their
lands” on the pretext that their farms were located on a seismic fault line.
The ONLF email alleged that the Chinese workers embedded with the army were
wearing army camouflage uniforms, jeopardizing their rights as unarmed
civilians stipulated in the Geneva Convention.
Ethiopian government spokesman Shimeles Kemal ridiculed the ONLF claim. In a
telephone interview, he said rebels had attacked what he called “civilian
targets,” but had been rebuffed by local militia, suffering heavy
casualties.
Contradictory version of events
"It’s the usual lie, the usual fabrication by the ONLF propaganda machinery.
There was no attack against Ethiopian soldiers that allegedly accompanied
the Chinese oil exploration company," said Shimeles. "What happened was, a
bunch of ONLF rebel forces had tried to launch an attack against civilian
targets. The local militia had ambushed and preempted their attack, and in
the ensuing conflict, 11 members of ONLF were killed there and then."
Shimeles confirmed that oil exploration is in progress in the region, but
denied there had been any attacks on oil workers or their facilities.
"There are some oil exploration companies, particularly PetroTrans oil
exploration company, which undertakes an exploration of oil in the area, and
this company has undertaken its activities, and so far there has been no
incident, no attack on it. They are undertaking their operation peacefully.
Conflicted oil region
The ONLF has been fighting for self-determination for the Ogaden since the
1970s, and is listed by Ethiopia as a terrorist organization.
In 2007, the group attacked a Chinese-owned exploration facility, killing 65
Ethiopians and nine Chinese workers. That attack prompted the Addis Ababa
government to intensify its anti-insurgency campaign in the region.
The Ogaden has since been largely off limits to foreigners. The
International Committee of the Red Cross was expelled from the region by the
Ethiopian government in 2008 after being accused of providing aid to the
rebels.
Two Swedish journalists were arrested in the Ogaden in July after being
injured in a battle between pro-government forces and ONLF rebels. The pair
remain in jail, and have a court date next week.
This map of the area where clashes took place was sent as part of a
communique issued by ONLF rebels announcing the clash, September 2, 2011.
Photo: ONLF
This map of the area where clashes took place was sent as part of a
communique issued by ONLF rebels announcing the clash, September 2, 2011.
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