Wareegay Hadaba Dhamaan Warkaas ka Akhriso Gudaha.
Ethiopia rebels claim massive counter-offensive
(AFP) – 3 hours ago
ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopian rebels have launched a wide offensive in the southeastern Somali ethnic Ogaden region and recaptured seven towns from government forces, they claimed Saturday in a statement.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) said in a statement received by AFP that it had launched a broad offensive on several fronts on November 10.
"The operation involved thousands of ONLF troops and resulted in two days of heavy fighting. A significant number of Ethiopian troops have been killed and their military hardware captured or destroyed," it said.
The ONLF said its forces entered the towns of Obolka, Hamaro, Higlaaley, Yucub, Galadiid, Boodhaano and Gunogabo, where government forces had deployed troops and positioned military hardware.
"ONLF forces were warmly welcomed by the population in these areas and are administering medical care to those civilians killed by retreating Ethiopian occupation forces," the statement said.
Formed in 1984, the ONLF is fighting for the independence of ethnic Somalis in Ethiopia's oil-rich Ogaden region, who they say have been marginalised by Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian military launched an offensive against ONLF rebels after they attacked a Chinese-run oil venture in Ogaden in April 2007, killing 74 people.
In April, Ethiopia said it had significantly weakened the rebels, a claim the insurgents dismissed
Aljazeera Africa: Ogaden: Seven Ethiopian towns taken
Somali Ogaden fighters formed the ONLF in 1984 and have attacked government forces regularly
Ethnic Ogaden fighters in Ethiopia have launched an offensive in the southeastern Somali region and claim to have recaptured seven towns from government forces.
In a statement released early on Saturday, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) said its attacks were launched across a broad front and had begun on November 10.
"The operation involved thousands of ONLF troops and resulted in two days of heavy fighting. A significant number of Ethiopian troops have been killed and their military hardware captured or destroyed," it said.
The ONLF said its forces entered the towns of Obolka, Hamaro, Higlaaley, Yucub, Galadiid, Boodhaano and Gunogabo - where government forces had deployed troops and positioned military hardware.
"ONLF forces were warmly welcomed by the population in these areas and are administering medical care to those civilians killed by retreating Ethiopian occupation forces," the statement claimed.
The Ethiopian government has not responded to the statement.
Formed in 1984, the ONLF is fighting for the independence of ethnic Somalis in Ethiopia's oil-rich Ogaden region - which they say has been marginalised by the government in Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian military launched a counter-offensive against ONLF rebels after they attacked a Chinese-run oil venture in Ogaden in April 2007, killing 74 people.
In April, Ethiopia said it had significantly weakened the the anti-government force, a claim ONLF rejects.
BBCEthiopia rebels 'capture towns'
Ethnic-Somali rebels in the south-east of Ethiopia say they have launched an offensive against government forces and captured several towns.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) said it began attacking on several fronts on Tuesday.
The separatists said a "significant number" of Ethiopian troops had been killed and their equipment captured.
The reports could not be verified and Ethiopia has in the past dismissed rebel accounts of military gains.
"The operation involved thousands of ONLF troops and resulted in two days of heavy fighting," an ONLF statement said.
The group added that its forces had been "warmly welcomed" in the towns it claimed to have captured - Obolka, Hamaro, Higlaaley, Yucub, Galadiid, Boodhaano and Gunogabo.
The ONLF, formed in 1984, is fighting for the independence of ethnic Somalis in the oil-rich Ogaden region.
It says the Somali-speaking population has been marginalised by Addis Ababa.
Fighting has escalated over the past two years following an ONLF attack on a Chinese-run oil exploration field.
More than 70 people died in the attack, including Ethiopian guards and Chinese workers.
Addis Ababa calls the rebels "terrorists" and has cut off all access to the region.
However, watchdogs have accused the Ethiopian government of human rights violations.
Ethiopia's ONLF rebels say captured seven towns
* ONLF say seven towns captured
* Government says rebels defeated
* Region with oil and gas potential
By Barry Malone
ADDIS ABABA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Ethiopian rebels fighting for independence for a region with potentially significant oil and gas reserves said on Saturday they had captured seven towns near the border with neighbouring Somalia.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) wants autonomy for the Ogaden region, whose population is ethnic Somali. The area is drawing interest from foreign oil and gas companies who think its deserts might be rich in mineral deposits.
"The operation ... to capture Obolka, Hamaro, Higlaaley, Yucub, Galadiid, Boodhaano and Gunogabo involved thousands of ONLF troops and resulted in two days of heavy fighting," the rebels said in a statement.
"A significant number of Ethiopian troops have been killed and their military hardware captured or destroyed."
Ethiopian government officials were unavailable for comment, but they routinely deny ONLF statements and say the rebels have been defeated.
Addis Ababa says the ONLF are "terrorists" supported by regional rival Eritrea. The ONLF accuses the Ethiopian military of killing and raping civilians and burning villages in the region as part of its effort to root out insurgents.
The regular accusations from both sides are impossible to verify. Journalists and aid groups cannot move freely in the area without government escorts.
The ONLF statement said its fighters had been "warmly welcomed" by residents in the seven towns and were giving treatment to civilians hurt in the fighting.
The Ogaden region is said to contain mineral deposits and international firms including Brazil's Petronas and Sweden's Lundin are exploring its deserts for oil. The ONLF regularly warns foreign companies against prospecting.
Ethiopian forces launched an assault against the rebels -- who have been fighting for more than 20 years -- after a 2007 attack on an oil exploration field owned by a subsidiary of Sinopec, China's biggest refiner and petrochemicals producer.
The separatist cause has gained momentum due to a low level of development. Until Chinese engineers arrived in the remote region in 2007, the entire area had only 30 km (20 miles) of tarmac road in an area of about 200,000 sq km. (Editing by Charles Dick)
No comments:
Post a Comment