BREAKING NEWS! A faction within Admiral Osman's ONLF faction is in Addis Ababa seeking peace.

[PasserBy]

In further weakening of A .Osman's faction, a splinter group is in Addis Ababa seeking peace. This is another major blow to the already emaciated A Osman faction.

 

Rebel faction in Ethiopia says it wants peace talks

 

Aaron Maasho Reuters

 

9:24 a.m. CST, December 23, 2012

 

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - A faction of a separatist rebel group said on Sunday it was seeking peace talks with the Ethiopian government, a development that could help stabilize a region with potential reserves of oil and gas.

 

The ****** National Liberation Front (ONLF) has fought since the mid-1980s for independence for the mainly ethnic Somali province of ****** in southeast Ethiopia, bordering lawless Somalia.

 

Abdinur Abdulaye Farah, the group's representative in east Africa, said his faction was in the Ethiopian capital hoping to have talks with the government. There was no immediate comment from the authorities.

 

The initiative pointed to weakened secessionist activity in ******, where rebels have not mounted a major attack since 2007. Several companies, including Chinese firms, are exploring for oil and gas in the area.

 

"More and more people want peace. There are very few people supporting the rebels now," Farah told journalists upon arriving at Addis Ababa's airport.

 

REBELS WEAKENED

 

A separate ONLF faction, which claimed to represent 80 percent of the fighters who menaced energy stakes in the ****** a few years back, sealed a deal with the Ethiopian government last year.

 

Farah said negotiations between the remainder of the ONLF and the government, held in Kenya's capital Nairobi two months ago, broke down when the rebels declined to accept the constitution and shun their armed struggle. The talks led to a further split, he said.

 

Other rival wings within the divided ONLF, including one run by former Somali navy chief Admiral Mohamed Omar Osman, were not immediately available for comment.

 

The Osman group claimed responsibility for a 2007 attack on an oil exploration field owned by a subsidiary of China's Sinopec Corp that killed 65 Ethiopian soldiers and nine Chinese oil workers, and for many other attacks on military targets over the last few years.

 

Addis Ababa has acknowledged past skirmishes with the rebels, but claims of battle victories from both sides have been hard to verify. Journalists cannot move in the area without government escorts.

 

Ethiopian forces waged an offensive against the rebels in late 2007 after the ONLF attack on the Sinopec site. Residents say the rebels have been severely weakened since then, but launch regular hit-and-run attacks including a handful of assassination attempts on regional officials.

 

The separatist cause originally drew support because of poverty and lack of development. Until a recent upsurge in infrastructure projects, the entire area of 200,000 sq km (77,000 sq miles) had only about 30 km (20 miles) of tarmac road.

[Abtigiis]

No doubt the ONLF is weakened largely because of its divisive label and myopic strategies. But the so-called faction is a one man defection, a lower level representative. Abdinur has gone alone. There were rumors that he was working with the Ethios even before he changed sides. He is also a close relative of Abdi Iley.

 

Yet, no one can deny that the ONLF is in the deep end. But just wanted to clarify the truth and tame the excitement of this Woyane boy.

 

Passerby, ba qadam yiqrta biyalahu concerning the Sebatengna joke. I apologized on the same thread. I explained why I made that joke and What I said is the truth.

 

Beterefe, Ye Woyane chawatan indhe zena adirgeh ataaqrib! It is shameful to present propaganda as news. And by the way did you hear about the Ginbot 7 armed wing which was established this week?

[PasserBy]

But the so-called faction is a one man defection, a lower level representative.

That is the same argument you made when Selahadin Mao's faction made peace with Ethiopia. Are you telling me ONLF is full of insignificant people?

 

 

Passerby, ba qadam yiqrta biyalahu concerning the Sebatengna joke. I apologized on the same thread. I explained why I made that joke and What I said is the truth.

Apology accepted.

 

 

And by the way did you hear about the Ginbot 7 armed wing which was established this week?

:D :D :D

[Abtigiis]

First of all, I know Habesha's keep grudges, so I am amazed by your acceptance of the apology. Shows the lot are starting to civilize!

 

Second, all my intention was to correct the falsehood in the news you posted. If you add ONE more name to that of Abdinur, I am ready to retract and agree with you. Where is and of what use is Ma'ow today? Please do tells us. Abdinur's defection is not unexpected; in fact, a month ago, h was accused of being an implant of ethiopian security and was expelled by a community tribunal, but the decision was reversed by the top ONLeaders.

 

I knew him and my feeling is that he was genuine but got disillusioned with the organization. No need to demonize him. I wish him good luck. But let the facts be known. I believe his defection won't be the last unless the front comes up with new politics, which I don't think they will.

[PasserBy]

I have a feeling you will keep minimizing the impact of every faction that ditches A Osman's ship until A Osman himself ditches it. The way things are going that day is not far away.

[Homunculus]

Admiral?! are they fighting at sea?

[Abtigiis]

Passerby, possible. But my task here is to present facts not to analyze the future of ONLF. My views on that is well known. If ONLF crumbles it won't be because of defections like that of Abdinur. It is because it would have failed to reframe its struggle to current problems and not to problrms that are no longer there. I spoke to people inside the region and they are bitter and do not support the puppet regional regime. I was surprised by their utter dislike of the regime , honestly. And despite the talk of development, the town I was born now gets 6 hours of electricity every two days; in 1988, it used to get 6 hours every day. Call Dhagaxbur and confirm this.

 

As long as there is bad governance and oppression, the struggle for justice will continue. With or without ONLF. The ultimate solution is not to engineer defections but to address the core questions of the people. You seem to forget that!

 

Apo, the O name is divise, the O leadership is confused, the policies they are following are wrong. They need to fight for a democratic Ethiopia alongside other equally oppressed Ethiopians. Not as a tactical game, but genuinely. There is a growing realisation that unless all ethnic-based rebel groups embrace nationalist policies snd come togather, the TPLF reign of terror and secterian looting will continue.

[Abwaan]

Homunculus;901539 wrote:

Admiral?! are they fighting at sea?

lol...He became an admiral in the Somali Navy.

[Che -Guevara]

This is rich, Abtigiis so subdued...lool

[Ambassador]

Good riddance. There can't be any Ethio sympathizers in the ONLF. ONLF is battling a truly noble combat and they have proven themselves to be men of virtue, integrity, bravery and principle. Keep in mind that Ethiopia has one of the biggest military in the African Continent, combined with billions in aid from the west. Defeating them won't be a walk in the park. It's rather preposterous to suggest disarming ONLF and switching to diplomacy to achieve its freedom. Freedom is never given but taken. When you throw yourself at the mercy of your enemy's feet, he'll oppress you more than he'd if you fough him. ONLF has done well and will continue to exist until they achieve their mission. God be with them.

[The Zack]

So Abdinur Yare is a faction now? The Wayane dude is lost again. The ONLF is too complicated for you to understand. They will keep fighting until every single town in O'gfadenia is free from Wayane.

[Faafan]

ONLF militarily has strengthened despite the armies counter-insurgency but the Ethiopian propaganda machine has worked overtime to discredit the front in the political arena , the talks produced a well-needed boost for the front but improvement is needed to counter the information black-out of the region where Ethiopia and its cronies concoct their fairy-tales .The ONLF is bidding its time as the noose tightens on the regime, the struggle is in good-hands as-long as we stay the course its unnecessary now to change names or unite with groups like G7 who don't share our political ambitions but we welcome their armed struggle to lift the yoke of dictatorship.

 

We don't need to make drastic political arrangements for now, slow and steady until we can pounce.

[Saalax]

Homunculus;901539 wrote:

Admiral?! are they fighting at sea?

 

[Somalia]

Well one can argue if this is a big development or not, but he is right about one thing;

 

"More and more people want peace. There are very few people supporting the rebels now," Farah told journalists upon arriving at Addis Ababa's airport.

[sharma-arke451]

allow sahal umuuraha