Rebels kill over 180 Ethiopian troops in southeast

Rebels kill over 180 Ethiopian troops in southeast
Ogaden opposition radio

Text of report by Ethiopian opposition Radio Freedom audio website on 15 August; all place names in southeastern EthiopiaRadio Freedom correspondent in Ogaden has reported several battles occurring in the last two weeks in which colonial Ethiopian troops were badly crippled. On 7 August 2006 colonial Ethiopian soldiers were handed devastation at a place called Balli-Igal in the province of Korahey. One hundred twenty colonial Ethiopian soldiers were killed and 141 others were wounded in the fierce battle. The reporter also told us that 48 colonial soldiers were killed and 34 were wounded in battles occurring in various locations betwe en 1 and 8 August 2006.On 12 August 2006 fighting broke out between fighters of the Ogaden National Liberation Front [ONLF] and colonial Ethiopian troops at Bulqa Yar. Sixteen colonial soldiers were killed and 20 others were wounded in the fighting.
Source: Radio Freedom, Voice of the Ogadeni People audio website in Somali

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Head of the regional security bureau arrested
Aug 16, 2006 Reports reaching our service desk from Ogaden Online and Radio Xoriyo reporters in Jig Jiga confirm the arrest and the illegal detention of Mahdi Ayuub, the former head of the security bureau of the so-called local administration.According to our reporters, Mr. Mahdi Ayuub was under house arrest for the past couple of days. His house arrest follows the defection of the so-called local parliament speaker Mr. Ali Kunaay. It is reported Mr. Kunaay escaped to Abu Dubai.Our reporters in the city confirm that the detention of Mr. Mahdi Ayuub took place this morning at around 9:30 AM local time. Eyewitnesses told our reporters that during the arresting Ethiopian military personnel humiliated Mr. Mahdi Ayuub and did not accord him the protection accorded him by his status as a parliamentarian.It is reported that Mr. Mahdi Ayuub is now held in the main military prison known as Haabaano. Political pundits believe Mr. Ayuub’s arrest does not augur well with efforts to recruit locals to work with the Ethiopian military and its affiliated Tigrey militias.Pundits believe that Mr. Ayuub who have worked with successive Ethiopian governments, does not deserve the ill treatment meted out on him by minions of the current regime in Addis Ababa.

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