ONLF.org — Official Ogaden National Liberation Front website

Text of official statement issued by the ONLF

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) wishes to inform the international community that thousands of Ethiopian government troops have been pouring into Ogaden [Somali Region] in recent weeks in what clearly signals a rejection of the pursuit of peace through dialogue and the broadening of armed conflict in the region.

In July of last year, the ONLF positively responded to a public call for dialogue by the Ethiopian regime.

We made clear that we were prepared to engage in direct talks with the Ethiopian regime in a neutral country, provided that an internationally recognized entity mediated the talks.

Soon after our announcement, the EPRDF [Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, ruling coalition] embarked on a dual strategy of falsely informing various governments that talks were under way, while secretly planning a military solution.

This build-up has already resulted in steadily increasing armed clashes between our respective forces, with ethnic Somalis being harassed, detained and in some cases killed by Ethiopian troops merely for being suspected of being ONLF sympathizers.

Captured Ethiopian government troops have indicated that they were the first wave of a three-month offensive using mainly ethnic Tigrayan troops executing an executive order by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

By its military build-up, the EPRDF led Ethiopian regime has made clear to the Somali people of Ogaden that it is not interested in finding a comprehensive political settlement to the Ogaden dispute through peaceful dialogue and instead has chosen armed aggression.

This armed assault on the Somalis of Ogaden who are already victims of a drought warrants immediate international intervention to avert widespread conflict throughout the Ogaden.

As in the past, the exercise of this military option will prove futile as the resolve of the Somali people of Ogaden for self-determination will only be strengthened.

The ONLF wishes to reaffirm that we are prepared to engage in direct talks with the Ethiopian regime in a neutral country, provided that an internationally recognized entity is present to mediate the talks with no preconditions placed on the talks by either side.

We call on the international community to intervene in order to cease this escalating armed assault on the Somali people of Ogaden by the Ethiopian government.