NAIROBI, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Ethiopia’s Ogaden rebels warned Malaysia’s Petronas [PETR.UL] on Tuesday they would not tolerate oil exploration in their remote eastern region, saying it would link the company to war crimes by the Ethiopian military.
The Malaysian state-owned company is one of more than a dozen international explorers hunting for oil and gas deposits in different parts of the huge Horn of Africa country.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebels said that everyone should know that Ogaden was a war zone and the government had no right to sign contracts there.
“We urge Petronas to exercise corporate responsibility and steer clear of Ogaden so long as our people are victims of genocide and their rights to determine their own future are violently denied,” the guerrillas said in a statement.
“To do anything less would be to act as an accomplice to a regime engaged in yet another African genocide.”
The separatist ONLF has long objected to foreign energy companies prospecting in its region, which borders Somalia.
In April 2007, its fighters killed 74 people in a raid on an Ogaden oil exploration field run by a subsidiary of Sinopec (0386.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), China’s biggest refiner and petrochemicals producer. (Reporting by Daniel Wallis, Editing by Peter Blackburn)
January 6th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Thisis a propaganda of shabea.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
HEMMMMM. freedom of speech in EMF?…. whats wrong guys???……
January 6th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Ethiopia can provide all security to Petronas. The Ogaden rebels should not be allowed to disrupt any acivity in our country. Ehiopians from Ogaden region are ready to hunt the rebels. The rebels are after non-ethiopians. Egypt is behind this scheme and the international community is aware of it. A day will come when Egypt will pay heavily. Egypt has been arming “eritrean” rebels in the past and is still arming Issayas.
We, ethiopians should be aware of the situation and be ready to stand against any conspiracy to disrupt the economic activity of our countr. The so-called rebels should disarm and join Ethiopia as ordinary citizens. The days of cheating the world as “Liberation Front ” are over. All of us need to work together to build our country.
January 6th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I share the idea of Tesfaye. I am not supporter of Ethiopian government. However whatever the development comes to our country wherever it is we should support it. Those who disrupt the development just for the sake of others aim, we should condomn very hard.
Ogaden rebels advocates over genocide while they killed innocent foreign workers in ogaden two years ago. What do we say about this act? The development to this region in one way or another for them. Who refuse this development means helping others who do not see Ethiopia a strong nation in economy.
I feel the ogaden rebels should be wiped from the region by any means. They are not the enemy of the government rather the enemy of the development and the enemy of the improvement of the region. Eventually they are supporter of the group or country who do not want to see Ethiopinan development.
Readers of this article I urge you to see things in very broad way instead of instigating the rebels voice. I am originally from this region by birth, I know the problem and situation of Hararghe.
So Down with ONLF.
January 7th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Presdent Isayas call for unity with ethiopia
http://www.eastafro.com/Post/2009/01/06/tplf-regime-heading-to-ultimate-demise-president-isaias-underscores-shabait/
TPLF regime heading to ultimate demise, President Isaias underscores - Shabait
Asmara, 6 January 2009 - In continuation of the interview he gave to the national media, President Isaias Afwerki said that despite attempts to prolong its stay in power through securing various types of external subsidy, the TPLF regime is heading to ultimate demise. He underscored that the regime’s political line characterized with the policy of divide and rule over the Ethiopian people continues to be exposed from time to time.
Indicating that the TPLF adopted the so-called Federal Constitution in 1995 in a bid to serve its narrow twin-purpose scheme, as well as prolong its stay in power, the President pointed out that it not only gave the existing natural differences in the country an institutional shape but also deepen them. The growing animosity and political, as well as armed opposition against the regime in various Ethiopian regions, including Tigray, is an outcome of such a reality, he elaborated
President Isaias went on to explain that following rejection by the Ethiopian people as a result of falling hostage to its own political line, the TPLF regime resorted to the policy of seeking external support. The fact that the regime became the servant of the US Administration is an ample proof of that, which nonetheless exposed the regime to even worse situation in every aspect, he added.
The President further noted that the Ethiopian economy is moving from bad to worse due the fact that the regime from the outset embarked on controlling and plundering the country’s economy rather than promoting economic development. In this respect, he pointed out that at a time when a quarter of the Ethiopian population is suffering from famine, the TPFLF regime’s claim as if the country has registered economic growth is but sheer joke.
As regards the Eritrean-Ethiopian border issue, President Isaias underlined that the TPLF regime has been totally defeated and that the issue has undoubtedly reached legal conclusion. He asserted that although the regime in pursuit of its narrow interests sought to foment animosity between the people of Eritrea and Tigray, the people and Government of Eritrea, provoked by the regime’s perpetration of crisis and obstacles, did not at all manifest animosity towards the Tigrayan people. The President declared that as both peoples are destined to coexist together, relations with the people of Tigray would play significant role in fostering sound relations and mutual prosperity in the future between the people of Eritrea and Ethiopia as a whole. He further asserted that Eritrea’s relations with all political forces in the region, including that of Ethiopia is aimed at creating conducive ground for promoting peace and cooperation at the regional level.
On Djibouti’s current smear campaign and the declaration of war against Eritrea on the part of the country’s President, President Isaias reiterated that Eritrea would under no circumstances engage in squabbles and that it sees no reason to resort to war. “We would only like to tell them: you have declared war and you have a debt,” he stated.
Regarding the TPLF regime’s invasion of Somalia, the President underlined that the subsequent massive acts of destruction to life and property the regime committed in that country by far exceed the atrocities perpetrated by the Haileselassie and Mengistu regimes. In this respect, he pointed out that the two-year old invasion did not bear any outcome other than destruction and utter failure. President Isaias further cited the huge inhumane crimes committed against the Somali people, about which the world media did not give due coverage owing to the pressure applied by Washington. And as such, both the TPLF regime and the US Administration are liable to face justice for these enormous crimes, he underscored. The President stated that Eritrea has the obligation and trust to play due role towards restoring normalcy to Somalia and promote peace in the region.
Concerning Sudan, President Isaias said that Sudan is currently at the cross roads due to complicating external interference. He also stressed that as Sudan’s engulfment in endless turmoil would not benefit its people, Eritrea and the region as a whole, the Eritrean government has not only been involved in constructive engagement but also advocating the need for extending the necessary support to Sudan so that it may not fall into such a scenario. The President further affirmed that Eritrea would continue to work for the benefit of the people of both countries and the region.
Commenting about the so-called Sana’a Forum, President Isaias stated that the game is being played by the TPLF alone and that Sudan and Yemen have only nominal presence in it. He added that the whole affair is not only a manifestation of the regime’s illusion and total bankruptcy but also represents one of its failed foreign strategy.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
In his interview you can see that this Esayas hates Ethiopia and cares about Tigray (only because he thinks Tigiray has developed and will be a good neighbor). Esayas and Meles will be like a dust soon. Because they hate to see great Ethiopia which they may have weakened but will never destroy it because Ethiopia will come back strong. Ethiopians now understand what it means to stay strong, love one another, and do national service like Israel. Every Ethiopian has to do national service to protect this country once Esayas and Meles and destroyed.
January 8th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
I AM PROUD ETHIOPIAWI AND I 100% AGREE WITH YOU MR WOCHEGUD.
WE NEED MORE SOLDIERS TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY ETHIOPIA. BUT MADE NO MISTAKE OUR ENEMIS ARE OUR WON BROTHERS. FORGET SHABIA. B/S COPER TO ETHIOPIANS THEY ARE NOTHING. AND THEY KNOW THAT THATS WHY THEY KEEP TRYING TO DEVIDED OUR PPL AND OUR COUNTRY BY SUPPORTING THE DEAD OLD PARTY EPPF TPDM AND SO ON. SO WE NEED TO UNIT FIRST BRO THE RES IT’S EASY.