Ethiopian Army are Displacing the Rural Population in Ogaden

ONLF Press Release

December 30, 2013-12-29

The Ethiopian regime has ordered its Army in Ogaden to displace the rural population from large tracts of the Ogaden grassland by burning traditional pasture rich areas in order to clear the land for oil exploration.

The Ethiopian Army has so far torched large tracts near the following towns:

1.     Shilabo  - between Jeexdin (CALUB) Gas oil field and Qamuda including areas near Jeexdin, Laasoole and Qarsoon

2.     Godey-Danan- between Bawo, Oman and Oboley Valleys

3.     Fik- Dhegahbur-Jigjiga Triangle- between Ceelo-Obo, Gooro Haas, Gabiib, Aware-(in daaqato valley) , Sattu, Jamara, Faafan and areas North of Obole. (See the Map below)

The fires , which were started by the Ethiopian army destroyed major grasslands and very rare acacia trees. The burning of the foliage in Ogaden will have adverse environmental ramifications since the territory is draught-prone and the rural population’s livelihood depends on the livestock that graze on those scarce pastures.

Most of those areas are major oil exploration sites where Ogaden people are deemed a threat and are being forcefully displaced and their livelihood destroyed in order to accommodate scrupulous and shady oil companies, since most of the major oil corporations with a sense of corporate responsibility shun the Ogaden due to the Ethiopian regime’s grave human rights abuses.

This act of depriving the Somalis in Ogaden of their grasslands will create, further displacement, starvation and man made droughts which is tantamount to genocide, therefore ONLF calls the UN and the International community to Ethiopia accountable to the crimes it is committing against innocent civilians in Ogaden. These unfortunate events are happening while most of the people of the World are preparing to celebrate the New Year with hope.

Issued by the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)