Ogaden Giving Up The Fight

[Megatron]

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - A faction of a separatist rebel group said on Sunday it was seeking peace talks with the Ethiopian government, a development that could help stabilize a region with potential reserves of oil and gas.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has fought since the mid-1980s for independence for the mainly ethnic Somali province of Ogaden in southeast Ethiopia, bordering lawless Somalia.

Abdinur Abdulaye Farah, the group's representative in east Africa, said his faction was in the Ethiopian capital hoping to have talks with the government. There was no immediate comment from the authorities.

The initiative pointed to weakened secessionist activity in Ogaden, where rebels have not mounted a major attack since 2007. Several companies, including Chinese firms, are exploring for oil and gas in the area.

"More and more people want peace. There are very few people supporting the rebels now," Farah told journalists upon arriving at Addis Ababa's airport.

REBELS WEAKENED

A separate ONLF faction, which claimed to represent 80 percent of the fighters who menaced energy stakes in the Ogaden a few years back, sealed a deal with the Ethiopian government last year.

Farah said negotiations between the remainder of the ONLF and the government, held in Kenya's capital Nairobi two months ago, broke down when the rebels declined to accept the constitution and shun their armed struggle. The talks led to a further split, he said.

Other rival wings within the divided ONLF, including one run by former Somali navy chief Admiral Mohamed Omar Osman, were not immediately available for comment.

The Osman group claimed responsibility for a 2007 attack on an oil exploration field owned by a subsidiary of China's Sinopec Corp that killed 65 Ethiopian soldiers and nine Chinese oil workers, and for many other attacks on military targets over the last few years.

Addis Ababa has acknowledged past skirmishes with the rebels, but claims of battle victories from both sides have been hard to verify. Journalists cannot move in the area without government escorts.

Ethiopian forces waged an offensive against the rebels in late 2007 after the ONLF attack on the Sinopec site. Residents say the rebels have been severely weakened since then, but launch regular hit-and-run attacks including a handful of assassination attempts on regional officials.

The separatist cause originally drew support because of poverty and lack of development. Until a recent upsurge in infrastructure projects, the entire area of 200,000 sq km (77,000 sq miles) had only about 30 km (20 miles) of tarmac road.

(Editing by James Macharia and Mark Trevelyan)

[jalaaludin5]

development and progress over poverty, war, destitution and never ending civil war. Its about time. For so long the wishes of the silent majority has been ignored so i guess the time came where their hopes and aspirations speaks volume above the warmongers and opportunist who cash in on the blood and sacrifices of innocent Ogaden.

[EEGA9]

The problem with these Reuters reporters is they can't gain access to the region yet they choose to print propaganda disseminated by the Ethiopian regime, they have repeatedly exercised this phony reporting regarding ONLF.

This Abdinur fella was booted out of the front recently, he was not among the more senior leadership and its probably the first I have heard of his name but Ethiopia loves to inflate the importance of the very few defectors they come upon once in a while just like they orchestrated the peace agreement with the so-called "ONLF faction" this artcile refers to which was no more than a group of diaspora-based former officials with no relevant association with the ONLF and who could not produce a single defecting fighter.

The ONLF leadership and its fighters remain composed and focused on the task, these reports represent nothing but Ethiopia's political wet dreams. If these reports represented the reality on the ground they wouldn't maintain there blockade of the Ogaden.

[Advo]

A lot of resources were not lost for nothing, there have always been defectors which is expected but it doesn't change reality on the ground.

[AhlulbaytSoldier]

They were fighting for clan state based on democracy, thus their cause was not to install shariahlaw and neither to unite the muslims(weither they be somali or oromo/ethiopian).

[bareento]

The problem with these Reuters reporters is they can't gain access to the region yet they choose to print propaganda disseminated by the Ethiopian regime, they have repeatedly exercised this phony reporting regarding ONLF.

This Abdinur fella was booted out of the front recently, he was not among the more senior leadership and its probably the first I have heard of his name but Ethiopia loves to inflate the importance of the very few defectors they come upon once in a while just like they orchestrated the peace agreement with the so-called "ONLF faction" this artcile refers to which was no more than a group of diaspora-based former officials with no relevant association with the ONLF and who could not produce a single defecting fighter.

The ONLF leadership and its fighters remain composed and focused on the task, these reports represent nothing but Ethiopia's political wet dreams. If these reports represented the reality on the ground they wouldn't maintain there blockade of the Ogaden.

Greetings Eega,
I believe this just a hyped up propaganda for ethios and some onlf drop outs.
Is there lately any ideological or strategical changes in onlf pushing some out of the front ...or these are just unfit folks.

B.

[Colonel]

This once again shows that ONLF is inflicting painful internal damage to the Ethiopian organs. Just as Meles' discomfort was not directly visible to the naked eye, the insides of Zenawi were aching with suffering.

[Advo]

[Colonel]

Advo I see you are a staunch supporter of Harakat Mujahiddiin ONLF, indeed you have chosen the right path.
May you be given a qalaanjo Absame wife

[grandpakhalif]

They were fighting for clan state based on democracy, thus their cause was not to install shariahlaw and neither to unite the muslims(weither they be somali or oromo/ethiopian).

Until they fight for the cause of Islam they will never succeed, until they raise the black flag of islam.

[guhad122]

The struggle will continue! You earn your freedom. You fight for it. Now that there is a new administration in place, it is even more important that ONLF stay united and continue its just struggle. I heard about the so-called ONLF officer submitting himself into the Ethiopian but many others like him have done that and it would have no bearing on the freedom movement. The struggle is bigger than one person!. In any freedom movement, you would always have puppets and cronies and it is a human nature. The fact of the matter is ONLF is united and more powerful than ever!!!!

In any freedom movement, you get tired, you get thirsty, you go sleepless for days, you go hungry but as long as you have a definitive goal, none of that should matter.

[Talo alle udaa]

The question we should be asking is, what have those that "turned", "joined" or made an "agreement" accomplishment since their short limelight in the news. This is why its difficult to argue in favor of joining Ethiopia because those who did, in the name of making peace, have yet to free even there own relatives from Ethiopian prisons let alone do anything else for anyone.

[SANDIEGUY]

This is exactly why I despise these ddsi guys. They can't answer me that exact question. All they ever say to any question is "dhulku waa nabad"

[metamorphosis]

This is exactly why I despise these ddsi guys. They can't answer me that exact question. All they ever say to any question is "dhulku waa nabad"

Whats your question?

[DANGIRL]

Reuters lies yet again.