Ethio-Somali

In the afternoon and evening of 3 November, the town of Harar in the eastern part of the country was under high military surveillance. Some army vehicles carrying machine guns drove through the town, checking the streets. The reason for this movement was that arms had been stolen from a military depot in the town.

A certain Major Hassan Warsame Mohamed was arrested and transfered to Addis Ababa, accused of collaborating with agents of the OgadenNational Liberation Front (ONLF, armed opposition) to carry out the theft. According to certain local observers it is not unusual for government army officers, including Tigrayans, to be involved in illegal arms deals in Ethiopia.

UK Parliament Hansard, 21 May, 1942

HC Deb 21 May 1942 vol 380 cc388-9W 389W

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), an Ethiopian rebel group that is operating in eastern Ethiopia, is reporting more Woyanne regime casualties in a renewed offensive that took place since November 10. The following is a military communique:

Military operations related to the 10 November 2009 offensive have concluded in Ogaden. In total, 6 military vehicles belonging to the regime have been destroyed thus far by ONLF forces. The death toll from all fronts now stands at 985 of Woyanne regime troops killed, including 12 officers, with a large number wounded.

Military hardware was captured on all fronts of the offensive, including small arms, ammunition, communications equipment and other materials of intelligence value.
By all measures, the 10 November offensive has resulted in a resounding defeat for Meles Zenawi’s regime where our ONLF deployed.

Reliable sources confirm that the regime is now planning a counter-offensive and intends to target civilians in particular. The regime plans to resettle civilians by force and particularly target communities near the active fronts of the 10 November offensive.

Orders have also been issued by the regime to deny international food aid to large areas of Ogaden. This denial of international food aid to the civilian population for political reasons and the forceful planned resettlement of the people into what could lead to modern day concentration camps is unacceptable and clearly a war crime.

Donor nations bear a responsibility to hold the regime accountable for their humanitarian assistance which is being used to subjugate rather than support the civilian population of Ogaden.

The regime continues to deny these actions but is clearly fearful of independent media coming to Ogaden to see for themselves the resounding victory of ONLF forces during the 10 November offensive.

The ONLF welcomes all independent individual journalists and international media organizations who wish to come to Ogaden and report on events here.

ONLF challenge the regime to allow independent media into Ogaden if it has nothing to hide from the international community.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)
onlfpress@onlf.org 

Ethnic-Somali rebels in the south-east of Ethiopia say they have launched an offensive against government forces and captured several towns. The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) said it began attacking on several fronts on Tuesday.

Full story http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8360199.stm

Armed forces of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) launched abroad multiple front military operation against military positions of the Ethiopian occupation army liberating seven towns in Ogaden on Tuesday,10 November, 2009. The operation involved thousands of O.N.L.F troops and esulted in two days of heavy fighting. A significant number of Ethiopian troops have been killed and their military hardware captured or destroyed during this operation.

ONLF forces entered the towns of Obolka located near Harar, Hamaro located to the East of Fik, Higlaaley near Degah Bur, Yucub located 40km from
Wardheer, Galadiid located 35km from Kabri Dahar, Boodhaano near the city of Godey, Gunogabo located near Degah Bur.
Ethiopian occupation forces had deployed troops and positioned large amounts of military hardware in all of these towns due to their strategic military value.  ONLF forces were warmly welcomed by the population in these areas and are administering medical care to those civilians killed y retreating Ethiopian occupation forces.

The ONLF will provide details of enemy casualties and further information on this large scale military operation as soon possible.

Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)
Military Command Center (MCC)

onlfpress@onlf.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Initial reports received from the ONLA central command which were corroborated by reliable local, civilian eyewitnesses confirm the success of the ONLA commandoes in inflicting heavy losses to the Woyane militias in and around many Ogaden cities and towns.

First reports provided by the ONLA central command indicate the operations undertaken by the Gorgor commando unit which operates in and around Baabili resulted in the capture of huge caches of military supplies. The supplies included 70 small arms including three PKM machine guns, two sophisticated military radios, and a large cache of more modern medicines.  

The ONLA claimed to have inflicted heavy military losses including the death of four high ranking military officials. Local eyewitnesses corroborated the ONLA claim as some of the local civilians attempted to bury some of the dead which were found in the forested areas surrounding the military garrisons overrun by the ONLA commandoes.

In the Xamaro ONLA commando offensive which we are yet to receive conclusive reports is said to have also resulted heavy losses on the Woyane militias. Ogaden Online news network reporters operating in the area confirmed that there were three major battles between the ONLA commandoes and the Woyane militias in the main military garrison.

The third battle which is to have caused the most casualties is said to have enabled the ONLA commandoes to overrun and finally take control of the military garrison. As of the time of going to press, the ONLA commandoes were still controlling the main military garrison in Xamaro.

Reports also indicate that the operations undertaken by the Duufaan commando unit against the highly trained military personnel said to have been mainly Tigrays in Higlaley also resulted in major military losses for the Woyane regime in Addis Ababa. The Higlaley offensive is said to have been the fiercest of all the operations undertaken by the ONLA commandoes.

It is reported, again also corroborated by civilian eyewitnesses in the area, that a convoy of mainly armed personnel carriers and tanks sent as a reinforcement to the Higlaley garrison from Dhagax Bur was waylayed by the ONLA in the outskirts of Dhagax Bur. Reports indicate that these reinforcements sustained major losses. Although this reinforcement could not proceed to Higlaley, it is unknown at the time of going to press whether their remnants were able to return to Dhagax Bur.

The ONLA commandoes are said to have transported all the military supplies and weapons caches out of the Higlaley garrison. Local eyewitnesses have confirmed that the ONLA commandoes have created a new commando post in a strategic area which is about seven kilometers from Higlaley.

The Galadid offensive undertaken by the ONLA’s Danab commando unit is reported to have the one that took the least amount of time. It is reported that the ONLA commando unit only took minutes to overrun the garrison. They are said to taken all the military supplies and weapons caches from the garrison before vacating it.

Shortly after leaving the garrison, eyewitnesses reported that this unit engaged Woyane reinforcements sent from Duud Ciid. It is said that the Woyane reinforcements which were not expecting ONLA units in the area where the battle took place sustained major military losses. Our reporter in Qabri Dahar confirmed that many Woyane dead and wounded have been brought to the city.

In Yucub offensive undertakn by the ONLA commandoes is said to have also resulted in major losses for the Woyane militias. Eyewitnesses confirm the sighting of ONLA commandoes transporting all the military supplies and weapons caches from this major military garrison. The same commando unit is said to have engaged Woyane reinforcements sent from Wardheer. Our reporter in Wardheer indicated seeing the arrival of many wounded and dead Woyane militias being brought to the city.

At the time of going to press, we are still unable to receive conclusive reports of casualties from the ONLA commando offensives in Boodhcaano, Birqod, and Gunagado which were undertaken by the ONLA’s Birjeex and Halgan commando units.

Although reliable eyewitnesses in the areas where the offensives took place confirmed seeing many Woyane militias taken prisoners by the ONLA, the leaders of the ONLA refused to deny or confirm any such prisoner takings.

Reports reaching the Ogaden Online service desk confirm the existence of a new, major  commando offensive by the Ogaden National Liberation Army (ONLA). Reporters in the Ogaden frontlines reported that the ONLA, in what appeared to be well planned and well coordinated attacks, attacked military garrisons in many cities and towns throughout Ogaden.
 
These planned commando attacks took place last night midnight, Ogaden local time, in the major military garrisons and bases in the provinces of Harar, Jarar, Nogob, Qoraxey, Doolo, and Shabelle. The garrisons attacked included Babili, Higlaley, Xamaro, Galadiid, Yucub,  Boodhcaano, Birqod, and Gunagado.

Local eyewitnesses and our frontline reporters both confirmed that these major military garrisons came under a multi-pronged attack by OLNA commandoes from Gorgor, Duufaan, Hanqadh, Danab, Heegan, Halgan and Birjeex units. The operation was codenamed ‘Eebo Cadow’ although the leaders of the ONLA commandoes refused to divulge information about the significance of the code given to the operations.
 
The eyewitnesses also confirmed that the Woyane militias were overwhelmed by the surprise, multi-pronged, and nocturnal attacks. This, the eyewitnesses added, enabled the ONLA commandoes to overrun the entrenched Woyane defenses in all the military and militia bases that came under attack.
 
Although there have been widespread casualties more so on the Woyane militia side, the ONLA commando leaders refused to describe their losses or the reported gains in military supplies. They have also refused to divulge any information related to the operation. These leaders have promised, however, to allow access to the garrisons to our reporters in the near future.
 
An expert in the horn of Africa, especially in Ethiopia, predicted that such a widespread commando attacks would further weaken the preparedness of the ‘Woyane militias.’ It would, in short, ‘destroy military morale’ he said.
 
The expert, who requested that his name not published due to his ongoing dealings with the Ethiopian government, indicated that although reports are just trickling to Addis Ababa. However, he added, that highly placed government sources have told him how surprised they were with ONLA’s ability to mount such coordinated multi-pronged commando attacks covering such a vast area.