ONLF Statement on the Murder Of Innocent Civilians In Jijiga, Ogaden.


The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) condemns in the strongest terms the senseless murder and wounding of innocent civilians in Jijiga town on the evening of Sunday, July 24th 2005. This deliberate killing of civilians, which included a young child cannot be justified under any circumstances.

The ONLF wishes to make clear to the international community that we will not tolerate our homeland being used as a lethal political battle field between the EPRDF/TPLF regime and segments of the Ethiopian opposition.

This deliberate act is clearly intended to divert attention from the just and nationalistic struggle for the self-determination of the Somali people of Ogaden. As such, the ONLF considers the perpetrators of this act to be unmistakable enemies of our national struggle and the interests of the Somali people of Ogaden for self-determination, peace and development.

The ONLF wishes make clear to the EPRDF/TPLF regime and segments of the Ethiopian opposition that violence targeting civilians to further political objectives by any individual, group, political party or State sponsored militia will be considered by us to be a clear assault on the national interests and struggle of the Somali people of Ogaden.

The destiny of Ogaden shall be determined by the people of Ogaden and not the EPRDF/TPLF regime or segments of the Ethiopian opposition.

The ONLF extends its sincere condolences to the families who have lost loved ones as a result of this barbaric attack.


Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)
foreign@onlf.org




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City: LOS ANGELES

To All Freedom yearning brothers and siters of Ogden, rest assured that All Freedom yearning Ethiopian like you are in millions and struglling for the same cause, to liberate our peoples from tyranny and oppression.

The atrocity that was committed today is the evil and satanic work of the oppressive dictator and his murderous operators are bent of frustrating and diverting attention from the mass killings that is perpetrated upon Ethiopians of all nationality and religion. The ruling tyrant will stop at nothing to cling to power, and the tragedy witnessed today is what is more to come from TPLF/EPRDF.

We Ethiopians are victims of mass arrests, torture and violence, murders and assassinations by the secret militia of the illegal government. Already, two of our recently elected parliamentarians have been murdered in cold blood while thousand of their supporters tortured, beaten, and homes burned to the ground. ONLF is not exempt form the wrath of TPLF/EPRDF as you had already witnessed what the rest of Ethiopia is being subjected to night and day.

I urge all, to not get dispirited and lose sight of our common struggle against a despotic tyrant who will resort to any satanic scheme in order to appease his foreign mentors to help him cling to power. The next dirty scheme the dictator fabricates is a presence of Al Qaida operative in Ogaden, so as to set the pretext to brutalize the people and appease the USA and UK as a trusted ally against the war on terror.

We compel you not allow the TPLF/EPRDF hoodwink you into believing that the opposition is your enemy. Our cause is one and the same. We must bring about the change all of our people deserve than to continue to languish in perpetual poverty and misery.

Your Ethiopian brothers and sisters in arms.

For your information!

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) notes with grave concern recent reports that the Ethiopian government will soon issue an oil exploration license to the Malaysian owned Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) to search for crude oil in Ogaden. Petronas has been analyzing geological data from Ogaden since last year and is seeking an exploratory license following positive data results.

The ONLF wishes to make clear to PETRONAS and the Ethiopian government that so long as the people of Ogaden are denied their undeniable right to self-determination, the exploitation of natural resources in Ogaden for the benefit of the Ethiopian regime or any foreign firm will not be tolerated.

We call on PETRONAS to cease and desist from its activities in Ogaden until such time that a legitimate form of self-government exists in Ogaden. The ONLF wishes to make clear to PETRONAS that the Ethiopian government is not in effective control of Ogaden and therefore is in no position to be issuing licenses of any kind for natural resources exploration. We further wish to note that there is currently an armed conflict waging in Ogaden between Ethiopian troops and ONLF liberation forces resulting in an unsafe environment for any exploration to occur.

The ONLF also calls on the government of Malaysia to take note of the situation in Ogaden and encourage PETRONAS to cease activities until such time it is able to engage with the true representatives of the people of Ogaden.

foreign@onlf.org