Africa
Ethiopia denies rebels chased oil, gas firms away
September 3, 2010 · 13 Comments
ADDIS ABABA, Sept 2 (Reuters) — Rebel claims that Malaysia’s Petronas has stopped oil and gas exploration in Ethiopia are lies and three more firms are in negotiations to start exploration in the country, said its mines minister.
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) separatists and local media said state-owned Petronas had pulled out of the Horn of Africa nation after a gas field it was exploring was overrun by the militants in May.
“The rebels took no gas field,” Mines and Energy Minister, Alemayehu Tegenu, told Reuters in an interview. “That didn’t happen. Petronas have not ceased operations. They have just suspended work to evaluate their portfolio.”
Petronas have yet to comment on the reports.
The ONLF is fighting for independence for the mainly ethnic-Somali Ogaden and has warned international oil and gas companies to stay away or face attack.
Firms including Petronas and the Vancouver-based Africa Oil Corporation are exploring the Ogaden for potential oil and gas reserves. Twelve foreign mineral firms are exploring Ethiopia for deposits.
Apart from a small discovery of natural gas, which Petronas has signed a $1.9 million deal to extract, Ethiopia has not uncovered significant oil or gas deposits.
The government says the Ogaden basin may contain gas reserves of 4 trillion cubic feet and points to oil-producing neighbours such as Sudan and Yemen as evidence there could be major oil deposits under Ethiopia’s vast deserts.
Alemayehu said Ethiopia was secure and the government was negotiating new exploration licenses with three foreign firms. He did not name them.
‘OUR MILITARY IS IN CONTROL’
“We have no complaints from companies exploring here about our security,” the minister said. “We have secured them. Our military is in control.”
Alemayehu also said peace negotiations with one faction of the ONLF were at an advanced stage. ONLF spokesmen have denied a deal is imminent.
The Ethiopian government has reported some skirmishes with the rebels in the past six months, but regular accusations from both sides are hard to verify. Journalists and aid groups cannot move in the area without government escorts.
Ethiopian forces launched an assault against the ONLF — who have been fighting for more than 20 years — after a 2007 attack on an oil exploration field owned by a subsidiary of China’s Sinopec Corp, Asia’s biggest refiner.
“Since that attack, we have secured the area,” Alemayehu said.
A British geologist was shot dead in the Ogaden last July while working for IMC Geophysics International, subcontracted to Petronas. The ONLF denied involvement and the government said ‘bandits’ were responsible.
Analysts say the rebels are incapable of ousting the government but can hamper development and weaken security forces in the Ogaden with hit-and-run attacks.
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Readers Comments (13)
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I dont know why somalis are fighting each other when were being robbed behind their backs. Ogaden is known for it's somali population, the ethiopian government lets them run the province for the most part. But when it come to resources of the land of the somalis in Ogaden…….Leave it to Alemayehu Tegenu and the ethiopian government to take care of the big billion dollar business. Dont worry we'll make sure to drop some pennies for you at the bottom.
If the Somalis fighting were aware of the real important issues going on this may not be happening
Everybody understands that ONLF is a problematic barier for the oil and gas exploration activities, in the Somali region in Ethopia. However, the good news is that the two parties have finnaly agreed to sign a peace agreement and, this is a big positive news for the whole region
This is a complex problem…even if Uwslf & Onlf reach peace pact deals
with the Ethiopia's ruling Regime both these so called liberation movements
are also the main Alshabaab…which means one side Dhanxiir hanky panky
donkey monkey episode is far from over done deal with …What then,Ask the Devil
for the right answer and comprehensive all-round solution.
Cheers.
Then the exploration must begin now. I am tired of waiting for onlf wars to end. It has ended now so let's start stricking black gold. this is a victory for All Ethiopians living in or out of Ogaden region.
this is ethiopian soil not somali soil they should kill these malitia
Kill yourself first
NOLF AND SWLF, WHO WERE ENGAGED IN WAR AGAINST THE ETHIOPIANS BOTH COLLAPSED IN THE SAME YEAR. THEY CAPITULATED AND SIGNED A PEACE PACT WITH THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE MAJEERTEEN AND THEIR PUPPETS DHULBAHANTE SEVERLY UNDERMINED THE MILITARY MIGHT OF BOTH MOVEMENTS. MAJEERTEEN AND DHULBAHANTE DID ARRESTED DOZENS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO BELONGED TO THE CENTRAL COMMITIES OF BOTH FRONTS, AND HANDED THEM OVER SECRETLY TO THE ETHIOPIAN INTELLEGENCE SERVICES. MANY DHULBAHANTE GARAADS AND MAJEERTEEN TRIBAL ELDERS ARE IN THE PAY-ROLL OF THE ETHIOPIAN SECURITY APPARATUS AS SPIES AND MINDERS EVEN NOW. PEOPLE OF OGADEEN WILL NEVER FORGET OR FORGIVE THOSE HARTI PUPPETS WHO SIDED WITH THE HISTORICAL ENEMY OF ALL SOMALIS JUST TO PROMOTE THEIR OWN NARROW CLANISH INTERESTS.
Onlf Swlf ex Aiai and Alshabaab are all militia Darwiish of the Mad Mullah Ina Abdulla Hassan Ogadenia insurgency militias. The Puntland special security unit (PIS) is another hurdle contingency aka majeertenia politics with far reaching policies and politics implications and consequences effecting overwhelmingly the political landscape of not only Somalia Somaliland but indeed the whole issues of Greater Somalia aspirations…think again of the roles of Majeerteenia from Syl all the way through todate! Now see what's going between the ranks of the Tfg President and his cabinet PM!…about almost everything as usual is tom and Jerry shows. The end ball game will eventually be upto the Somalia's Somalis ex Italiano Colonial to decide their final destiny and that of their country Somalia in peril and the SSC insurgency will have no choice but to go back to their Somaliland ex Great Britain Protectorate.
Cheers.
This is nothing but ethiopian propaganda the ONLF is alive and kicking the somali people in teh ogaden occupied region of ethiopia will countiue to fight for there self-determination and until we get it our oil shall remain untouched….
long live ONLF…..
I don't know what this militias are going to do with it if they own the oil & gas field, this is a billions of dollars project and i'm sure it can not be run by some militia.
they better wait until it starts to give fruit and ask for their share.
LOL Yemo
This is a big complex issue …Wslf,onlf,alshabaab are all one ogadenia
liberation militias then you have hizbu alislam hawiye liberation militia
then you have tfg militia hawiye darood dominated then you have puntland
majeerteenia militia dominated then you have ssc militias from
somaliland(weakest link)…all in the names of Somalia and greater Somalia.
then you have Somaliland who opted to stay away from all the aforesaid
conflicts. MR Yemo you see now how big the problems are.
Cheers.
ONLF are for Ogaden, they wan to rob us blind!
hi am eritran what abuot our and somaliannnnnnnnnnnnnnn