The Ogaden are of Somali ethnicity, speak Somali and are culturally Somali. However, their land isn’t associated with Somali proper. Their total population is 5million. Their land is located within the internationally recognized boundaries of Ethiopia, also known as southeastern Ethiopia and sits on a total land size of 369000 SQ. KM. Today the Ogaden are under siege.


Presently, the military rule in Ogadenia has brought with it a new way of life that has a complete disregard for the well being of the people of the Ogaden. The Ethiopian government is going so far as to isolate the Ogaden people from the world, that they have effectively blocked them out of normal Ethiopian life. There is now a military force of over Seventy (70) thousand controlling the region. There are no schools, no Hospitals, no Court systems, and because the area is under military rule, military justice (which is neither fair nor just) is the code of conduct. The military rulers participate in killing and detaining people for unspecified periods of time and have now moved on to other abuses. For several years now, the Military leaders have not allowed journalists to go to the area and report on what is happening on the ground, a practice that is indicative of someone hiding something. There are numerous reports of soldiers raping women and girls/children amongst other atrocities. To put it bluntly, they are raping the people of their right to live in peace. They are raping the society’s will to survive.

And as recently reported by UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) on April 10, 2002, the Ethiopian government shut down the only two organizations that were there to aid the people Ogadenia. The two Organizations are the Ogaden Welfare Society (OWS) and the Guardian respectively. The reason given for their closure is that they are a danger to national security but as stated by IRIN’s report “how the organisations posed a threat to national security” was not stated in the official government memoranda that informed the to two Organizations to shut down. IRIN’s report further explains, “The OWS employs more than 300 people who are feeding up to 1,000 children a week. It also looks after 12,000 internally displaced people in Gunagadao, southeast Ethiopia. Mohamoud said in total, 500,000 people benefited from their work, which is carried out in one of the harshest environments in Ethiopia”. The Guardian provides “food to 6,000 people in Gode - an area hard hit by the 2000 famine - said it had already appealed. Its chairman Dr Korfa Garane, who is a member of the House of Representatives, is also lobbying on their behalf.” As also clearly stipulated in the report both organizations are members of the Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA). The closure of the two gravely important organizations is a troubling development, one that will surely lead to causing more harm than good for the desperately needy community within the Ogaden region.

This isn’t a plea to ask for your hand in waging a war against a country, nor is it an attempt to ask for help in dividing one. This is simply a request made by the Ogaden people to the International community to simply look at us. Look at our struggle to survive. Look at our struggle to not to be starved to inexistence. Look at our struggle to be human and be treated as such. We are asking for your help in bringing to light what is happening within our own homes. When the Emperor of Ethiopia during the early colonial days wanted to add the Ogaden region to his “Empire”, he sent a letter to the King of England stating that he was a Christian ruler in the midst of a “sea of heathens”. And therefore, supporting the Emperor’s cause became legitimized. Now the current leadership of Ethiopia is using the new minted “terrorist” stamp on the very people that this government has terrorized for so long. It isn’t right. It isn’t justice. Many of the young people are shouting out a very old and familiar cry. “GIVE ME FREEDOM OR GIVE ME DEATH”. At this rate there will be more of them dying to be free than dying as free.

CUD has to work hard in Ogaden.

Email: belayt01@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Dear Belay:
Ogaden is a word that is coined by the villian Haile Sillassie in order to divide and rule Somalis. For your information, ogaden is my mother clan and the bloody Haile approached the elder ogadeni caln so as to create a conflict and he succeeded. Do you know until now the conflict that your forefather has masterminded is still simmering between the Somalis in the Somali region. Please do you homework and read and study the people background before your plunge into the case.
Moreover, ONLF and OLF are currently warming the palace in Eritea, and that is not acceptable in the Somali Ethiopian eyes. In 1995, EPLF has disarmed OLF guerrila in Curso that is located in twelve kilometers of Dire Dawa. Eritrea is the country that oppressing its own people and rejected Barkat Habtesillassie who wrote the Eritrean constitution.
They are still in the mindset of Mafia a la Italia.
That is why, Isayas said that he did not eat injeera , but Spachetti. What a shame we have in Africa!
ONLF does not have a clue what is going on in Ethiopia let alone Somali region. This is the result of the creation of your forefather who negleted people not to go to school when they did not open one single school for the whole region.
On the contray, Meles has accepted them and allowed to go to school. That is why, we support Meles

Email: shirdons@yahoo.com

City: Washington DC

Ibrahim,

First, forget about the words like "forefater". If my forefather doesn't also belong to you, that is up to you. I can't help you. Second, are you sure that your support for Meles is only b/c he allowed you to go to school? What about your dream of Secession?

Email: belayt01@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Ibrahim,
The more I read your posting the more I see how stupid and blind you are. You can't even see what your midget meles is doing to the region of somali. You are disgrace to the Ethiopian ppl.
You can count on one thing, one way or the other, sooner or later your weyane bandits will be destroyed once and for all. The whole Ethiopia will live in peace together. As far as your weyanes propaganda about eritrea, do not worry. We know exactly who got us into this mess to begin with. History will judge what was happening from day one.

Dear Belay,
According to any arm struggle, the question of secession is raised when all avenues are exhausted.
TPLF has had an agenda to separate before the former under Secratery of America convinced them to rule Ethiopia; otherwise, it will be like Somalia.
You can read their political programme and it has been changed before 17 days that they are arrived in Addis Abeba. OLF has similar agenda; although, Somali case is unique and the northern are always thinking that they will separate and join other Somalis such as Djibouti, Somaliland, Somalia and Norht District of Kenya. That dream is not true anymore. In othr words,
Ethiopian Somali are not in the mindset of separating from Ethiopia probably is the Amhara that will try to secede from New Ethiopia because they do not get a chance to rule Ethiopia and change the election through violence.
We are Ethiopian and support the true and genuine Ethiopian leadership that is working hard to implement the constitution instead of people who are just daydreaming to bring back the world of yesterday and do not an iota of solution. Ethiopia is multi ethnic, multi-religion and multi-languages ect and those who do not like the beauty of diversity; they have the right to secede if one third of its people opt for its. It is obvious that the question is not the secession question, but to access the resources and get rich.
That is why, I have never seen a single Muslim person who speaks in the name of CUD and no Somali in the party. So my friend do not mudding the issues; let us talk about win -win solution since we live together forever.
For example, the Amahra mistake is that they do not want to be opened mind and work on the issues.
Tell me to have dialogue and discuss the issue with other nations and nationalitities instead of galoping in empty field

Email: shirdons@yahoo.com

City: Washington DC

Dear Ibrahim,

There is a great deal that you don’t know about the Amarah people. Yes we have ruled the country, there are few points that you keep forgetting:

1. There were different ethnic group, in the military hierarchy, education system, health system, not to mention the Eritrians who were sent on scholarship to the USA and Europe
2. We established a tolerant country regarding religion. Could you tell me where in Somalia that you see Christians and muslims just going on with their lifes
3. Have you ever seen a millionaire Amhara, no, if you guys see us as these greedy people then why is the Amarah people so poor. I will tell you why, we are the farmers of Ethiopia, we spent too much time thinking about the country as a whole. I think we should start think like other ethnic groups like you and be selfish. I don’t know where this will take the country.
4. It is the Tigrians ethnic group that ethnically cleansed Addis Ababa (kicking out the Ertrians)
5. I do hope you will get your bloody independence so that we can see where you will get.
6. Or even better why don’t you move to Somalia to be with your people, away from the Amarah people.

Ibrahim,
I’ve been suspicious of you that you might be working for Meles, but now you’ve confirmed the truth. The Somolie origins should know that they have a homegrown enemy by the name of Ibrahim Shardon. With a cold heart like yours, I am also convinced that you were pretending to care for those Ethiopian pilots in Djibouti.

You claim to be a spiritual person at the same time you are so insensitive to the human sufferings. People cannot pretend they serve God holding a Bible or Quran on one hand and holding on the other hand; hate, luck of compassion, insensitivity, and a weapon to destroy another human being.

To Ibrahim

You said, "TPLF has had an agenda to separate before the former under Secratery of America convinced them to rule Ethiopia; otherwise, it will be like Somalia.
You can read their political programme and it has been changed before 17 days that they are arrived in Addis Abeba."

More research is needed in your part to prove to be true to think and say that TPLF is convinced by Secratery of America to rule Ethiopia.

Dear Belay and AA:
I have been released from the jail and bail out by my friend Mamo who rescued me. That is to say, whenever I warmed up and the ball is my corner to score many goals on your camps, the moderator blocked my e-mail not to post any comment and then let me go after twenty four hours when he/she did not find any charge agaisnt me except I expressed my utmost truth in my perception and challenge your interpretation of reality at hand.

Email: shirdons@yahoo.com

City: Washington DC

IBRAHIM.u said MELLES opened school to the ogaden somalis, school is not good enough there r more somali ethiopians than the tgraians. u r not blind to see who is holding all the power in in ethiopi it is the weyane tigray the minority who gavern u, and u r happy to be a wayane foot soldier and your so called federation is a gimmick by the wayane to rule the country i know it u know it the whole world know it. as to secession it is true they wanted it, but they had food problem plus there was power vaccum in addis the Americans and told the wayyane to rule the country and to hold proper election now the wayyane tested the amhara and oromo hanny, milk, ktfo,tef,they do not want to go they get use to the good time MAMMA ETHIOPIA U HAVE A VIRUS LIKE HIV CALLED WAYYANE.

Email: mahari5@aol .com

City: london

Mr. Mahari:
What left for your settler organization is to grip on the seats that you got in Addis Abeba and think how to reform your party so as to undertand the reality at the ground.

Email: shirdons@yahoo.com

City: Washington DC

Ibrahim, Ibru, Ibricho, Ibru Gela,

What am I going to do with you? Ibrahim, please make your political positio based on what is good for your people both in you region and outside of it. An Amhara peasant and an Amhara poor (90% of the Amhara) expect a lot from educated Ethiopians, you included. Go over and above tribal politics. EVen Lenhco seems to have grown out of his old self. It is only you and Gebreselassie that have failed. Even Gebreselassie seems to attack you on this topic (read above). I was going to do to you what I did to Hagere Ethiopia, but VJ asked me to respect you. So you are spared.

Mamo Qilo

Dear Mamo:
My political position is that article 39 is the best solution for new Ethiopia. What will be your solution?
Do not go around the bush as you did before and VJ has psoted an excellent articles of Mulugeta and told your to learn from them; however, your determined and dedicated CUD supporter moderator has removed the articles. You can not even engage us with civil and healthy debate with us and you are talking about to rule Ethiopia. Shame on you.
In addition, I love poor and innocent Amahra farmers thatr helped out by Meles and the city politic and Diaspora demonstrations headed with Derg leftover will give a chance to govern Ethiopia.
Have not you notice that your foot soldeirs do not know how to dialogue except to insult to throw the ready made trigger of emotional words to anybody who question them?
First please channel your energy and teach them to be open minded and learn how to engage in discussion. Any discussion should be two way streets.
We pass the stage that the monkey imimitation of old feudal system is gone with the wind where only a few certain settlers will come to America and educate themselves and improverish the rest of Ethiopian ethnics including the poor and innocent Amhara who are cultivating with their hands.

Email: shirdons@yahoo.com

City: Washington DC

Dear Ibrahim,

My position on Article 39 is closer to your position than it is to CUD. CUD is plenty stupid on this. I have said that 3 zegallion times. You have admitedin one posting that it is primarily on the papers only and has not give nationalities full right to govern themselves in a true sense of federal administration. Let us face it things are run by TPLF tugs, not by Somli politicians. This is also what VJ has been saying. I stand to be corrected by both of you.

You wrote that "VJ has psoted an excellent articles of Mulugeta and told your to learn from them" I have read what VJ has written on Mulugeta. What he said is that Mulugeta is useless and his writings are misguided, disguided, disoriented and misoriented. I am not sure if you read him correctly. For VJ there are two souls he sees as educated mercineries one is Mulugeta. VJ thinks Meles got to go. Mulugeta worships Meles. The two are different as in day and night.

Ibrahim, you said I "can not even engage us with civil and healthy debate with us and you are talking about to rule Ethiopia. Shame on you". I have been asking you to debate with me in a civilized manner, but you said this is not the time. I asked Mulugeta to debate me in a moderated forum (we can agree who would be the moderator), he ducked me. And now you tell me that I cannot debate with you. I know you said I should debate with VJ. VJ will kick my whatyoumacall it in a NY second. But there is no reason to debate with him. He and I share the same views on almost all critical and timely issues, including on Article 39.

Can you and Mulugeta debate me. VJ can serve as our moderator.

Mamo Qilo

ADDIS ABABA, 19 July (IRIN) - An armed rebel group (ONLF) waging a bloody guerrilla war in lawless eastern Ethiopia on Tuesday offered a truce to end
its decade-old fight against the government.

the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) offered peace talks in a neutral country to try to bring an end to the fighting that has plagued this arid region.

The decision was announced in a statement following the exchange of letters between Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Ogadeni clan
elders in an attempt to secure peace in one of the poorest and most remote parts of the country.

Key elections are scheduled to take place in the region in just over a month, which could tip the balance in Ethiopia's 15 May national elections, where partial results have the government and opposition parties on level pegging.

"The ONLF is ready to engage in negotiations with the government in order to find a just and lasting solution to the conflict between the people of the Ogaden and Ethiopian regime if such talks are conducted in a neutral country," the statement said.

"It is also vital that an internationally recognised entity is present to moderate the process," it added.

In a separate statement, Ethiopia's foreign affairs ministry said the government would "respond positively" provided the rebels laid down their arms.

"Community elders and clan leaders have requested the government for its readiness to hold discussions with ONFL to support its efforts and help it realise its peace initiatives," the ministry said.

The rebels, ethnic Muslim Somalis, have fought for the secession of the Ogaden region, an area of four million people, since the early 1990s.

An expert on the ONLF, Medhane Tadesse, said rapprochement with some factions of the rebel group had taken place in recent weeks.

"The ONLF is a group that has created serious instability in the region," Medhane, author of 'Political Islam and the Black Economy', said.

Insecurity in the Ogaden, which borders Somalia, is one reason why national elections held in the rest of the country on 15 May were delayed in the region until August.

Peace talks between the Ethiopian government and the rebels have broken down in the past, with both sides blaming each other.

This time We all Somlise in Ogaden hope for lasting peace and peace for all Ethiopians under the leadership of Meles Zenawi. Those of you who hate Meles and want to distroy Ethiopia unless Amahara comes back to the throne, sorry ....it ain't happen