27 November 2008

Ethiopia, rights watchdog trade accusations over Ogaden atrocities

November 26, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian government and Human Rights Watch traded on Wednesday accusations about a report published last June by the watchdog. Addis Ababa dismissed reports about war crimes in eastern Ethiopia while the New York organisation said it stand by its findings.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report last June “Collective Punishment: War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity in the Ogaden area of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State”. In this report the rights watchdog said documented attacks against civilians since June 2007, when the Ethiopian army launched a counterinsurgency campaign against rebels who attacked a Chinese-run oil installation.

Ethiopian foreign ministry said today that an investigation team probed the allegations of HRW report but they found no evidence to support the allegations of systematic war crimes or crimes against humanity. “They found villages untouched that HRW alleged were burnt by the ENDF; others, according to former residents, were burnt by the ONLF whose terrorist activities HRW hardly notices."

The key ally of Washington in the Horn of Africa added that HRW report is fabricated and it was manipulated by the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).

The Ethiopian government accuses the OONLF and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) of being terrorists supported by arch-foe and neighbour Eritrea. They are often called "anti-peace forces".

However, the international rights organisation retorted in a press release tonight calling the Ethiopian government to cooperate with an independent team to probe the crimes of Ogaden and to address "growing concerns over the human rights and humanitarian situation in Somali Regional State."

“We welcome government efforts to respond to these crimes, but we stand by our findings one hundred percent,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “If there is truly nothing to hide, then Ethiopia should immediately ensure access to the Somali Region for independent media and human rights groups and invite the UN to send a commission of inquiry.”

The Ethiopian foreign ministry report said a seven member team had toured the region during last August and September and found only "one or two cases of abuses and one of torture" HRW also wondered why the government didn’t specify who participated in the inquiry.

Source: Sudan Tribune