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Ethiopia:Ogaden Human Right committee welcomes Peace talks between Ethiopia and ONLF

September 15, 2012 · 3500712 Comments2012-09-15+14%3A43%3A26SomalilandPress

15 September 2012.

On Friday (Ogadentoday Press) – The Genève based Ogaden Human Right committee has welcomed wholeheartedly, the new negotiation between Ogaden Rebel, Ogaden National Liberation Front and government of Ethiopia, In a statement sent via email to Ogadentoday Press.

According to an emailed press-release statement via to Ogadentoday Press, OHRC said that The Ogaden Region has been a virtually closed military zone for the last eighteen years, where bloody battles were being fought between Ethiopian armed forces and combatants of the Ogaden National Liberation Front.

Speaking of the Ethiopian policy to Ogaden Region, the Committee said, that government policy is; deliberate economic strangulation, political marginalization and use of brutal military force to suppress all legitimate demands from the population including the inalienable right to self-determination”

Adding that we believe there is strong correlation between human rights and peace/conflict as human rights abuses might cause armed struggle and armed conflicts exacerbate human suffering.

The committee has called on the International Community, American government and European Union to play a role, since there a little confidence between the two sides.

The Ogaden Human Rights Committee believes a negotiated settlement modeled on Naivasha agreements which solved the Southern Sudan conflict can be the best solution for the protracted conflict in the Ogaden, said in the statement.

However the Ogaden Human Right Committee has recommended 8 points.

 The Ethiopian government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front, declare immediate, comprehensive and unconditional cease-fire in the Ogaden.

 Commit themselves to respect human rights and make part of their negotiation addressing grave human rights violation and war crimes that has victimized thousands of innocent people

 The Ethiopian government should release all political prisoners in the Ogaden.

 The international community exerts more pressure on all the parties to the conflict in the Ogaden in order to reach a peacefully negotiated and just settlement.

 Since there is no confidence between the warring sides the Ogaden Human Rights Committee urges the United States and European Union to act as mediators and facilitators to boost up the Kenyan role in order to put an end to the human suffering in the Ogaden as soon as possible.

 The international community refrains from aiding and supporting the Ethiopian government as long as it violates human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Somali people in the Ogaden.

 The Ogaden Human Rights Committee urges the Ethiopian government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front to allow all humanitarian and relief organisations to operate freely in the Ogaden as well as international and local human rights organisations and the international press.

 The sides should refrain from incitement and negative propaganda.

Both the ONLF and the Ethiopian government confirmed that these peace talks took place on 6 and 7 of September in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

U.S. has several times urged Ethiopian government to make peace with the ONLF and find the last peace solution volatile region of Ogaden.

The Ethiopian delegation was led By the Defence Minister of Ethiopia Siraj Fegessa and Abdirahman Mahdi, the Foreign Secretary of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, led the ONLF delegation from the Somalis in Ogaden.

Source: Ogadentoday Press.

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By SomalilandPress

Tags: Ethiopia, ONLF, peace talks

fozia says:

It is shame that the disicion had been including the rag tag aid groups to inter the country to bash their false and fake propaganda in the world. We don’t care the new government is trying to give up our border, then that is clear war between Ethiopians and the government. What is next?

12:00 pm on September 15, 2012

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Abdi2 says:

I would welcome peace in the Horn. I am glad that both Ethiopia and my somali brothers and sisters in the Ogo both have given peace a chance. Ethiopia in particular needs to work harder to ensure peace and justice take hold in this region. This includes setting up a balanced democratic and authonomous province representing all those that reside in this region including Isse, Isaaq, Gadaboursi and all other residents and tribes, which is something lacking in the current dictatorial government. That is the only way greavences can be addressed. We don’t need tribalized authority that uses state resources to massacre villages, much like what has been happening in Harshin in the last two weeks where inocent villagers have been masscred by the Liyuu police until the federal government step in to expel them and took control of the security situation.

Ethiopia nor my somali brothers and sisters in the Ogo, Hawd and reserved area don’t need another greaving somali people, but if this horrindous autrocities continue in this area as they have been since the establishment of this tribal entity, the situation might disintergrate further, which neither benefits Ethiopia nor Somalis.

PEACE AND JUSTICE IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD

12:12 pm on September 15, 2012

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- fozia says:
  
  I agree brother.
  
  12:16 pm on September 15, 2012
  
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- amal says:
  
  Very well said brother. The grievance of ONLF and the other Somalis who are constantly abused by the liyu police must be addressed by Ethiopia if they want to improve relations and peace in the horn.
  
  2:59 pm on September 15, 2012
  
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sahra says:

to began with it all the groups must come together then you can focus on deal issues that faces the region and ethiopian government if that does not happen nothing is going work simple as that.

12:24 pm on September 15, 2012

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Ogaadeeniya Qoraxay says:

Somaliland and Ogaden Region will cooperate and Oil and gas in Ogaden will be produced soon.

6:54 pm on September 15, 2012

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Ethioshow says:

This is totally a maneuvering. Ethiopia is a strong country without late PM Meles Zenawi. The Ogaden region has similar grievance as the rest of Ethiopian people. Therefore, they should live under the country’s constitution.

1:04 pm on September 15, 2012

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Qiso Shanle says:

l have agree at all what human right has wrote but I would like to add that is better to talk before the conflict how ever I support peace talks between ONLF and EPRDF thanks.

8:22 pm on September 15, 2012

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Anonymous says:

Firstly, I welcome the ongoing negotiations between the two parties. However, it would have been nice if the concerned group has to drop that clannish name of Ogaden out of the political scenes because that tribal name was given to the Somali region of Ethiopia by late Haile Selasse 1948 after the UN fact finding mission and only the Ogaden elders opted to be part of Ethiopia and in fact, aborted the greater Somalis project which was pushed behind by Great Britain. As a result of that, Emperor Haile Selassie called this tribal name so as to avoid the Spmali name and at the same time for his tactics of divide and rule.

Now, it is the 21st century and it should be thrown out of the window once and for all.

9:15 pm on September 15, 2012

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Mohamed Mohamoud says:

Many Somali Ethiopians live in this region side by side, they are different clans and inhabitants but one of those clans fighting Ethiopian government in many years, indeed it is worthwhile to promote this dialogue between Ethiopian and ONLF insurgency, this can contribute peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.

10:54 am on September 16, 2012

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Mohamed Cheers says:

The ONLF failed to win their insurgency guerilla warfare and now appears.
to have come into terms with this reality and opting to strike the ultimate.
peace deals with the EPRDF Addis Ababa Govt powers. Am in full support.
with good wise decision on the part of the ONLF. However, for the record,
it should be clearly understood that there's no such thing as Ogaden and.
the proper name for the Somali-Ethio State is Somali Galbeed or 5th Somali State Province of EPRDF. The peace deal is good for all the Horn Afrique/E.A. bloc.
Countries.
Cheers.

2:50 pm on September 16, 2012

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knower says:

Ok article nicely written

10:14 am on October 13, 2012

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