Ogaden: Communique – The Peace Talks Between the ONLF and the Ethiopian Government Stall
October 17, 2012
The second round of peace talks between the Ogaden National Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government mediated by Kenya was held in Nairobi between 15 to 17 October 2012. Abdirahman Mahdi, ONLF Foreign Bureau Secretary, led the ONLF delegation. The Ethiopian delegation was led by the Defense Minister Seraj Fegesa. The Kenyan government mediation team was led by Kenyan Defense Minister H.E. Mohamed Yusuf Haji. The Kenyan government hosted the talks.
The Ethiopian government requested the Kenyan government to facilitate talks with the ONLF. Then the Kenyan government approached ONLF, who accepted the invitation to engage in the process in a genuine and principled way.
In the first formal talks, the process went smoothly and the parties reached an agreement on the modalities, general principles and an agenda for the talks.
In the second round of the talks, the Ethiopian government delegation did not respect the principles agreed upon. These stated that “the holding of negotiations must be in accordance with mutually acceptable principles and no preconditions shall be made to negate the inherent character and purpose of the peace negotiations.” Instead the Ethiopian delegation tabled a contentious issue that was a key element of the conflict, by insisting that the continuation of the talks depends on the ONLF accepting the Ethiopian constitution. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian delegation blocked any attempts for the talks to move forward by imposing this precondition.
The ONLF position on the constitution is that it must reflect the will of the people and that the Somali people never exercised a referendum on the constitution. ONLF believes that the solution of the conflict in the Ogaden can only be achieved by accepting the principles of the right to exercise their self-determination without any preconditions or restrictions.
The peace process is supposed to address differences between the two sides on all issues. The ONLF proposed that the parties continue to talk in the spirit of the initial agreement and start with confidence building measures that will lay a fruitful and conducive environment for tackling the impasse at a later stage.
The ONLF is willing to continue engaging in a principled peace process with the Ethiopian government.
Issued By ONLF
This is the inherent character of Ethiopian empire and any thing less than defeating and disintegration Ethiopian empire will never yield fruit and realize the aspiration of nations under Ethiopian colonial rule. This is another nail hit on the coffin of Leencoo Lataa, Diimaa Nagoo, Bayyan Asoobaa and other cowards
YES Hawee we need total regime change like in Lybya with its police and army fully destroyed.
As Oromos and other occupied nations we did not take part in writing constition of the colonial empire,it;s up to to the colonilizer to un conditional withdrow from Oromia and other states occupied by Ethiopian empire.
LOOK jaldu and all oromo sisters and brothers, we have to use diplomatic language in our comments since the international community is witneesing what we write or at least the WAyane diplomats can show it to their lobby to discredit our oromo struggle. According to United Nations charter all colonized nations have the full right to independence in any means including arm struggle. AS diplomatic and intenational law expert I advise you to use the Warning that the present WAyane regime and armed militias (police,security and terrorist army should leave Oromo territory as soon as possible peacefully and go back to their native land tigray or they will be responssible for the blood shed whic we are going to launch with massive army and modern weapons
Corection on Yabat’s above comment which was pasted by mistake before I finish.The last two lines should be read as–be responssible for the blood shed which may inevitably happen as the consequence of our launching massive arm struggle with modern weapons including anti aircraft and tank buster rockets.The world should take our warning seriously. WE want to liberate our land and people from savage terrorist black/tigray colonizers.Nothing less or nothing more.It is not religious or tribal war it is fully anti colonial liberal democratic movement and post independence Ormomia can be open and free for any country to negotiate on free trade and international diplomatic relations.
This should be a lesson for Lenco Lata and other confused oromo nationalists who lecture us about the need to negotiate with Abysinians. Abysinians never understand democracy, negotiation, rule of law, peacem…The only viable way to claim freedom is by force.
Obsa, well said. I agree with you and support your idea. No body gives you your freedom for free. The question is I am hearing too much about force from those who are far away from it. Where is that force within an Oromo? Can any one who is talking about it now and then show me where is his force to do so? I am not saying that it is impossible to create such a force. But are we on the way to create it? Now I am fade up to hear the name Lencho Lata in Oromo politics. If LL is as strong as to do all in the Oromo issues why we don’t leave all for him and shut up?
As Oromos and other occupied nations we did not take part in writing constition of the colonial empire,it;s up to to the colonilizer to un conditional withdrow from Oromia and other states occupied by Ethiopian empire.
Beekaa Biyya:
U asked where is (Oromo)force? The Oromo people has been using force against the occupying army of Abysinians since the time Oromia has been occupied. But the force oromos were exerting against the enemy is so small that the enemy is alive to date. How to scale up the oromo force to reverse the balance of force between the us and Abysinians is an important question. Its solution is in the hand of the current oromo generation. We shouldnot blame ex-freedom fighters like Lenco lata for all failures. let’s think a while on how to damage the enemy with the minimum loss possible. Can we manufacture handbombs locally? Can we establish strong spy? Can we arm each and every oromo with gun, pistil, etc? Can we use the oromos in TPLF to destroy TPLF? …. To what extent burning out Woyane resources with fire can help us?A number of questions can be listed. We, the young, have to devise new strategies to win the enemy
there no oromo army at all.