HENOK MERHATSIDK 1.pdf - Addis Ababa University

As the writer commented the region is volatile and the involvement of the federal and
regional government in the area was not careful that instead of alleviating the natural and
man made crisis in the region, they were exacerbating by following a policy of force rather
than reconciliation. It is the position of the research that the Ogaden issue has been the
concern of all leaders of modern Ethiopian state. They all have confronted with the Somalis
in the Ogaden and their ethnic links in Somalia. The regimes also paid a lot in terms of
human life and resources to maintain Ogaden.
The present Ethiopian government showed a paradigm shift that it has theoretically given
autonomy for regions and the right of self administration including secession. However, the
implementation of most of the above mentioned rights has been rhetoric than reality. Hence,
the Ogaden region is remained volatile zone its existence heavily depend on the presence of
the Ethiopian army rather than the will of the Ogaden people, when the army is absent the
ONLF is engaged in massive offensive. The Ethiopian government signed a peace deal with
one of ONLF faction led by Selahadin Mao in October 2010, he says representing majority of
ONLF fighters. The other group led by Mohamed Omar Osman a former Somali navy chief
Admiral. He declared that “During the months of October and the beginning of November it
has conducted 34 tactical and strategic military operations, killing 267 Ethiopian army
soldiers and wounding 157” This group was responsible for a 2007 attack on an oil
exploration field on Ethiopians and Chinese it has killed 65 Ethiopian soldiers and Chinese
oil workers. (The Daily Monitor 2010: 1) Another Amharic News paper Addis Admas wrote
that the US has hand over manual that can assist Ethiopian army in its fighting with the
ONLF. The News Paper elaborated that the US officials understand that the government
waged fierce campaign on Ogaden because the ONLF attack on the Oil exploration field has
political and economic implications. The Ethiopian government accused of ONLF as it has a
link with Al- Qaeda and wanted the US support. The US is skeptical about the link of ONLF
with Al -Qaeda. But it provides the manual that can assist the Ethiopian army to fight ONLF
with out hurting Civilians (Addis Admas, February 14, 2011)
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