By Ahmed Abdi
January
28, 2014 (ONLF) — Two high-ranking members of the ONLF, who were peace
negotiators between ONLF-and- Ethiopia have been abducted in Kenya by
the Ethiopian security agents on Sunday afternoon(26/01/2014).
The
Group issued yesterday a press release saying that “The Ethiopian
security abducted Mr Sulub Ahmed and Ali Hussein, two senior ONLF
leaders from Nairobi yesterday afternoon. The leaders, who were members
of the ONLF negotiation team, were in Nairobi for a proposed third round
of talks.”http://onlf.org/?p=578
Amharic
fluent speaker-Sulub Ahmed ,a former ONLF-head-quarter’s commander and a
member of Central Committee and Ali Hussein aka Ali-dhere ,a member of
the 74 ONLF central Committee have been in Nairobi waiting to resume a
peace-talk between Ethiopian government -and-ONLF which stalled 17
October last year.
The
two men had no guards with them during their stay in Nairobi. and they
went missing yesterday afternoon after going to the town centre. Their
cell phones went dead in the early afternoon. Early reports indicate
that the Ethiopian security who armed with pistols drugged them and took
them to Moyale through Isiolo Route, crossing through the gaint Ogaden
border .
Waiting
the news of these two ONLF-negotiators ,it was cleared on Monday
morning that they have fallen into the hands of the Ethiopian agents
that operate outside of the Ethiopian borders.
ONLF
stated in its press release that “In 1998, the Ethiopian Army killed
three members of an ONLF delegation team and abducted two members, who
were coming back to ONLF base after participating in bilateral
negotiations with the Ethiopian government inside the Ogaden. Two years
ago, the Ethiopia government assassins killed another senior leader in
Nairobi too”. The group mentioned further that ”This is not the first
time that the Ethiopian government has acted in an unethical and
uncivilized manner by killing or abducting ONLF delegates engaged in
peace talks”.
Although
,Kenya accepted to broker the previous ONLF-Ethiopia peace talks,
still for the last 3 years, Kenya territory has been a place for
Ethiopian agents to kill, abduct and intimidate at will any one
suspected of being ONLF-Sympathizer or a refugee who fled from Ogaden
Region.
In
its twitter account (@ONLFJWXO), the Liberation Front stated that “Last
year an abduction attempt of #ONLF leaders by #Ethiopian Security from
#Nairobi was thwarted by #Kenyan Police”.
The
abducting of the two-key negotiators is a blow to efforts to negotiate a
political solution to the 3 decades-long war between Ethiopia and
Ogaden region.
“This
heinous act constitutes a breach of confidence in dealing with Ethiopia
and will gravely hamper any further talks with Ethiopia. This cowardly
act, will further invigorate the quest of the Somalis in Ogaden for
freedom”,said Monday’s ONLF-foreign press Release.
Although
the website-run by Ethiopian-appointed Ogaden administration already
claimed the responsibility for the abduction of ONLF-negotiators ,the
Ethiopian government remains tight lipped over the “abduction” of 2
negotiators and the Kenyan government did not comment on this fresh
abduction.
“It was Kenya’s responsibility as a facilitator of the peace talks it
should have the moral responsibility to protect at least these officials
or allow them to carry weapons with them to protect themselves
respectively.It is also Ethiopia’s violation over the
Kenya’s sovereignty”,said Mohammed Farah, a journalist and a human
rights activist.
Regional commentators believe that this indicates as it was mentioned
earlier that some of the Ethiopian government members are unwilling to
continue the peace-talks between ONLF and Ethiopia and this incident
will jeopardize the peace again.
Source: ONLF
No comments:
Post a Comment