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Ethiopia’s Government in Peace Talks With Ogaden Rebels
By William Davison on September 08, 2012 Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Google Plus 0 Comments

Ethiopia’s government is in peace talks with the Ogaden National Liberation Front, an outlawed ethnic-Somali rebel group, Communications Minister Bereket Simon said.

“It’s a very positive step and we will pursue negotiations up to the last and try to bring all concerned in that area to the constitutional framework,” Bereket said in a phone interview from the capital, Addis Ababa, today.

Principles to end the 28-year conflict in the Ogaden area of Ethiopia’s Somali regional state were agreed during initial talks on Sept. 6 and Sept. 7 in Nairobi, the rebel group said in an e-mailed statement today.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front has fought a low-level insurgency in the area with natural gas reserves of 4 trillion cubic feet since 1984, seeking greater autonomy. In April 2007, the group attacked a site operated by China’s Zhongyuan Petroleum Exploration Bureau, killing nine Chinese workers and 65 Ethiopians.

An unspecified date has been agreed for more talks facilitated by the Kenyan government and attended by Ethiopia’s Minister of Defence Siraj Fergasa and ONLF Foreign Secretary Abdirahman Mahdi, the rebel group said.

The talks occurred after armed insurgents indicated they wanted to take the “peaceful avenue,” Bereket said. “It’s in this spirit that talks have started,” he said.

The government signed a peace deal with a faction of the group in October 2010, since when it has denied occasional claims of successful attacks on security forces by rebels.

Official ONLF statement

Peace talks between Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Ethiopian Government Held in Kenya
ONLF Press Release
September 8, 2012
Delegates from the Ogaden National Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government held talks in Nairobi, Kenya on the September 6th and 7th 2012, facilitated by a Kenyan team designated by the President of Kenya, HE Mwai Kibaki. Mr Abdirahman Mahdi, the Foreign Secretary of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, led the ONLF delegation from the Somalis in Ogaden. The Ethiopian delegation was led By the Defence Minister of Ethiopia HE Siraj Fegessa. HE Mohamed Yusuf Haji, the Minister of State and Ag Minister for Provincial Administration and Internal Security of Kenya led the facilitation team.
After exchanging opening statements presented by the head of the delegations, the two sides agreed on the modalities of the negotiation process, the general principles that would be the basis of resolving the conflict and the initial agenda, with the facilitation of the Kenyan team.
The general principles agreed upon that would be the basis for resolving the conflict is:
1 Formal negotiations between the Ethiopian government and Ogaden National Liberation Front shall be held to resolve the conflict;
2 The common goal of the afore mentioned negotiations shall be the attainment of a just and lasting peace;
3 Such negotiations shall be comprehensive and address the substantive issues that are the root causes of the conflict;
4 The holding of negotiations must be in accordance with mutually acceptable principles and no preconditions shall be made to negate the inherent character and purpose of the peace negotiations.
5 The substantive agenda of the peace negotiations shall include issues that will facilitate the implementation of any peace agreement;
6 Both parties shall agree to specific measures of goodwill and confidence building in order to create a favourable climate for the negotiations.
Finally, the parties agreed on the date of the next meeting to be held in Kenya.
Issued by the : Ogaden National Liberation Front

Great ;

too much blood has been shed already

Hope they ditch the suscessionist agenda.

The_Patriot wrote:Hope they ditch the suscessionist agenda.

You no longer support an Independent Ogaden country?

khalid ali wrote:

The_Patriot wrote:Hope they ditch the suscessionist agenda.

You no longer support an Independent Ogaden country?

What for to turn into another Eritea? And spend most of our resources securing our border how will that be a brainer?
By the way the US will never allow Ogaden to susceed .
The moral of the story is its better to take an option that will lessen the burden of the people in the conflict zone.
I do wanna see a day when there will be no more bloodshed and displacement of the people in that region.

The_Patriot wrote:Hope they ditch the suscessionist agenda.

f-king idjit.

The_Patriot wrote: What for to turn into another Eritea? And spend most of our resources securing our border how will that be a brainer?
By the way the US will never allow Ogaden to susceed .
The moral of the story is its better to take an option that will lessen the burden of the people in the conflict zone.
I do wanna see a day when there will be no more bloodshed and displacement of the people in that region.

The mistakes our forefathers made will not be repeated and I hope you drop die you piece of shit.

The_Patriot wrote:

khalid ali wrote:

The_Patriot wrote:Hope they ditch the suscessionist agenda.

You no longer support an Independent Ogaden country?

What for to turn into another Eritea? And spend most of our resources securing our border how will that be a brainer?
By the way the US will never allow Ogaden to susceed .
The moral of the story is its better to take an option that will lessen the burden of the people in the conflict zone.
I do wanna see a day when there will be no more bloodshed and displacement of the people in that region.

in this life you have to fight for what belongs to you do you think the United states supported the secession of Eritrea the Eritreans forced them self lose from the Ethiopian colonizers. Despite Eritrea being an authoritarian regime and turned into a Military state with little freedom for their people. But than again they live in dignity free of Ethiopia. The Ogaden can be free to as long as you believe in it i said it before the Six Million people of the Somali region can be free with the right approach and unity between them and i believe they can be free in the near future.

right on schedule for my prediction

viewtopic.php?f=321&t=307100

DANGIRL wrote:

The_Patriot wrote:Hope they ditch the suscessionist agenda.

f-king idjit.

So whats your solution? To become Somalia's poodle? languish in refugee camps while your fellow somalis sell you out like animals?

DANGIRL wrote:

The_Patriot wrote: What for to turn into another Eritea? And spend most of our resources securing our border how will that be a brainer?
By the way the US will never allow Ogaden to susceed .
The moral of the story is its better to take an option that will lessen the burden of the people in the conflict zone.
I do wanna see a day when there will be no more bloodshed and displacement of the people in that region.

The mistakes our forefathers made will not be repeated and I hope you drop die you piece of shit.

Naah our forefathers mistake was they were not united and choosing poor policies.
Dangirl tell me what is the solution? Running like a headless chicken?

khalid ali wrote:

in this life you have to fight for what belongs to you do you think the United states supported the secession of Eritrea the Eritreans forced them self lose from the Ethiopian colonizers. Despite Eritrea being an authoritarian regime and turned into a Military state with little freedom for their people. But than again they live in dignity free of Ethiopia. The Ogaden can be free to as long as you believe in it i said it before the Six Million people of the Somali region can be free with the right approach and unity between them and i believe they can be free in the near future.

Thanks but no thanks for your input . When you are sandwiched between pack of wolves then the game needs a new strategy.

Solution? Very simple. Don't hand in your weapons and always make sure Ogaadeeniya independence is the endgame.

khalid ali wrote:

in this life you have to fight for what belongs to you do you think the United states supported the secession of Eritrea the Eritreans forced them self lose from the Ethiopian colonizers. Despite Eritrea being an authoritarian regime and turned into a Military state with little freedom for their people. But than again they live in dignity free of Ethiopia. The Ogaden can be free to as long as you believe in it i said it before the Six Million people of the Somali region can be free with the right approach and unity between them and i believe they can be free in the near future.