Most of the big settlements in the Ogaden have been constructed next to main rivers such as Qalaafe &Godey or Fiq region on the Shabelle.Others like Qabridahar, Dhagaxbur,Jigjiga...etc are built along the perennial rivers in the Faafan&Jarar valleys where farming communities are found.Obviously the agricultural sector is not very large especially in a conflict zone where the government is engaged in the destruction of settlements in order to suppress dissent its not very appealing to become a heavily settled community, your life span is much longer been a nomad where you rule the terrain and have accumulated advanced survival tactics over the generations.Once the conflict is solved the agricultural centers are ready to begin producing massively,most of the main settlements are already within the vicinity as mentioned, its true the river systems in the Ogaden can feed the entire region if developed properly.
I don't blame them, and I have tremendous amount of RESPECT for them for defending their areas against the 1991 USC invasion, also AUN to Adan Gabyo. 