Ethiopian rebels lobby for mediation in peace push

Ethiopian rebels lobby for mediation in peace pushBogonko Bosire
AFP
NAIROBI -- A rebel group fighting for an independent state in southern Ethiopia said Friday that it wants other African nations to take up its cause and push Addis Ababa to open peace talks. The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) said that it had approached Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa for help in mediating between itself and the Ethiopian government to end decades of sporadic conflict in remote but resource-rich Oromia region.
OLF foreign affairs chief Fido Abba said that the group - denounced as terrorists by Addis Ababa - felt shunned by fellow Africans who he said had largely ignored their struggle in Ethiopia's largest and most-populous state. "We want sympathy from the people of Africa," he said in the Kenyan capital, where he is trying to enlist Nairobi's support. "For years now, we have been wondering why African countries have been unwilling to take up our case," Fido said. "We are appealing to African countries to take seriously the political and military problem in Ethiopia." "We need help," he said. "Thousands of people are fleeing from our country to neighboring countries including unstable Somalia. This is a sign that there is a massive problem in Ethiopia." The OLF is among several groups Ethiopian authorities accuse of being behind of string of small but deadly bombings in Addis Ababa and other cities in recent months as well as fomenting unrest along the Ethiopia-Kenya border. The Ethiopian government also alleges that the OLF, along with another rebel group in the region, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Islamic extremists from Somalia, have united under the guidance of arch-foe Eritrea to create instability in southeast Ethiopia. Fido denied the charges. They "can say anything, but the fact is that we only get sympathy and diplomatic support from Eritrea," he said. "Concerning the Islamic movement in Somalia, we let Somalis solve their own problems." He also denied that the group had launched numerous raids and ambushes in northern Kenya, attacking and looting villages, blaming the violence instead on Ethiopian government-backed militias. "How can we attack neighboring countries when we need their sympathy," he said. "All these attacks are being carried out by groups allied to government in order to ruin our relations with neighbors." The OLF was formed in 1973 to seek greater autonomy for Oromia region. But it joined a coalition of rebel groups headed by now-Prime Minister Meles Zenawi that fought and toppled the Marxist, Soviet-backed regime of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991. After numerous disputes it quit the coalition in 1992 and started fighting the government, demanding the creation of an independent state.
In 2005, New York-based Human Rights Watch accused Addis Ababa of ruthlessly suppressing political dissent, killing hundreds of people, and harassing and detaining people in the region. Oromia, the largest and most populous region in the country, is often described as the breadbasket of Ethiopia and is home to numerous natural resources including gold, platinum, and natural gas.

Source: Middle East Times