afrol News, 9 June - The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which fights for self-determination for Somali-dominated Ogaden province of Ethiopia, today rejected the often made claim of a connection between the ONLF and the armed Islamist movement in Somalia.

In a statement sent to afrol News, ONLF claimed that a recent report "citing unnamed sources alleging that ONLF has entered into a coalition with political entities in Somalia is far from reality and well within the realm of fantasy." The armed movement cited reports on the government-controlled broadcaster 'Voice of America' regarding a "coalition" between ONLF, the Somalia's Islamic Courts Union and Somali ex-parliament members.

Several Horn of Africa analysts earlier have mentioned the ONLF as supporters of the Somali Islamists. While the ONLF has no religious agenda, analysts outlined the strategic importance of a cooperation between the two movements, which both fight against Ethiopian troops. Especially, it was noted, ONLF activities were stepped up soon after Ethiopian troops entered Somalia and ousted the Islamist government late last year.

This widespread assumption however is now rejected by the ONLF, which claims that Addis Ababa authorities for two decades had been "engaged in a deliberate effort to misrepresent our struggle to the international community in a bid to divert attention from the legitimate grievances of the people of Ogaden."

"This misrepresentation has included efforts to portray the ONLF as a religious organisation instead of a nationalist organisation and [Ethiopian government] statements aimed at leaving the impression that the scope of our military operations extend beyond Ogaden," the statement adds. The group says they "are not, have not been and will not be a party to the ongoing conflict in Somalia as a matter of policy and principle."

The ONLF statement nevertheless supports the Somali Islamists' demand of an Ethiopian troop withdrawal from Somalia. "The foundation of the ONLF policy toward Somalia is that Somalia should be left to the Somalis and that the Ethiopian army should immediately and without condition, pull its troops out of Somalia," the statement says.

Regional leaders in the African Horn and East Africa are generally distrustful towards the ONLF as the group is seen as part of a larger movement calling for the establishment of a Greater Somalia. That entity is to unite territories predominantly inhabited by Somalis, including Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, eastern Ethiopia and north-eastern Kenya. Dreams of a Greater Somalia have spurred several wars in the region since independence.

The ONLF, aware of these suspicions, however has tried to distance itself from the dream of a Greater Somalia. The armed group calls for self-determination for the Ogaden, saying it wants to offer the population a possibility to decide itself on whether to establish an Ogaden Republic. It legitimises its armed struggle in what it calls an Ethiopian "colonisation" of the Ogaden in the late 19th century, which should give the Ogaden Somalis a right to decolonisation in line with other African peoples.

The Ogaden conflict however has not been recognised as a decolonisation issue by the UN or any state or institution. Only occasional Somali leaders in Mogadishu have recognised the ONLF's struggle as a decolonisation issue.

The ONLF makes several demands to Ethiopian authorities to lay down its weapons, saying Addis Ababa must "face the reality that they must deal with the legitimate representatives of the people of Ogaden and abandon their failed military strategy in Ogaden and ongoing brutal crackdown against our civilian population." The government is urged to "accept direct talks with the ONLF in a neutral country and in the presence of a third party arbiter with no pre-conditions placed on either side if there is ever to be a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the conflict."

But Ethiopian authorities have so far rejected talks or negotiations with the ONLF, which they often refer to as a "terrorist group". The armed group however finds increasing popular support among Somalis in Ogaden. Among the many armed ethnic conflicts in Ethiopia, the ONLF has by now emerged the strongest military challenge to the Ethiopian army.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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