The O'gaden Conflict - the next Darfur

[BiLaaL]

 

AlJazeeraEnglish

August 07, 2009

Riz Khan

 

In Ethiopia a separatist war is taking place far from media headlines around the world.

 

The ****** conflict has claimed thousands of lives and is being called the next Darfur by some.

 

The ****** region of Ethiopia lies between Oromia to the west, the Republic of Djibouti to the north, Kenya to the south and the Somali Republic to the east.

 

It is home to approximately five million people, who are for the most part ethnic Somali nomads.

 

Over the past two years, the conflict has escalated following the ****** National Liberation Front's (ONLF) attack on a Chinese-run oil exploration field that resulted in the death of 74 Ethiopian guards and Chinese workers.

 

Since then, the area has been closed off by the Ethiopian army.

The armed ONLF resistance began in 1994 when they broached the idea of splitting from Ethiopia.

 

The central government then imprisoned ******i leaders and has since labeled them as terrorists, linking them to al-Qaeda.

 

The ******i allege assassinations, torture and rape at the hands of the Ethiopian solders.

 

Joining the programme to discuss the ongoing conflict will be Fowsia Abdulkadir, an independent researcher and human rights activist who testified before the US Congress on the situation in the ****** region, Gregory Stanton, the founder and president of Genocide Watch and the president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and David Shinn, the former US ambassador to Ethiopia and co-author of A Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia.

 

[Jacaylbaro]

It will never be the next Darfur .... The two governments are different.

[juma-nne]

Walee JB, waxaa laguu yabaa markaad afhayeenka amxaaradana kudarsatid

[Jacaylbaro]

now tell me ,, why is it going to be the next Darfur ?? ,,,,

[BiLaaL]

It being the next darfur is an understatement. It is worse than Darfur - when one considers the timeline of the conflict and brutality of the Ethiopian armed forces.

[Jacaylbaro]

That is why i'm saying the two governments are different.

 

Darfur issue was backed and advocated by the western countries ,,,, the same countries support Ethiopia knowing worse things are happening in that region.

[BiLaaL]

You're right about that. But how does that diminish the scale of sustained killings and destruction of livelihoods that this region has suffered from? It does not.

 

The conflict in Darfur is at least open to the outside world. This isn't the case in Somali Galbeed. Ilaahay ha u gargaaro walaalaheen.

[Jacaylbaro]

^^ Aamiin ....

 

 

The "super powers" play their games as they wish ,,,, they will open the Somali galbeed's case to the outside world only if they disagree with the Admin in that country.

 

Looks like we cannot open our cases to the world ..... very disappointing.

[N.O.R.F]

I saw the debate. AJE have done alot to highlight Somali issues since it's inception.

[Abu-Salman]

Indeed, thanks to Qatari Al Jazeera again; why is David Shin stating twice that "independence is not the solution" when the US is still actively seeking that very independence for Southern Sudan?

 

Why does he reproach to the Oga-denis people in his statement to "want independence" as if that was a crime in this case?

Are they less human than his American compatriots or the rest of the nations that did or still fight for their independence?

 

At any rate, the only way forward is to get the Somali government running as urgently as possible so to at the very least highlight that ignored genocide...

[GAAROODI]

****** conflict is a self inflicted wound, they created the problem for themselves.

[The Zack]

^Xaasid la kor dhaway! You should be ashamed of yourself, that part of Somalia is under invasion for half a century, you should at least pray for them. Well I guess I forgot you were one of those kids that were spoon-fed with "your-tuulo-is-best- tuulo and you-are-the-best" markaa go right ahead and talk trash as much as you want.

[Geel_jire]

Originally posted by GAAROODI:

****** conflict is a self inflicted wound, they created the problem for themselves.

Waa maangaaabnimadan oo kale waxay soomaali u hormari laadahay.

 

The OG issue is sacred in the sense that wether you support:

1.TFG

2.shabaab

3.somaliland

4. puntland

 

there is absolutely no grounds to oppose the legitimate struggle for freedom our dear brothers/sisters have been going through for the last few decades.

 

At the bare minimum your sympathy for their plight is requires. failing that just keep your ignorant comments to yourself no need to put your ignorance of history and lack of compassion on display