June 1, 2012

The Ogaden national Liberation Army mounted several targeted operations against  Ethiopian Troops who were conducting punitive campaigns against the civilian population in Ogaden. On the May 31, 2012, in Birqot garrison, the Liberation Army waylaid two Ethiopia Army convoys and killed more than fifty soldiers on missions to commit atrocities against the civilian people the area. On the same day, the liberation Army, preempted another Ethiopian Army mission near Qabri Bayah in preparation for carrying out massacres around Obole area, by attacking them at Bula dari Garison, killing 98 soldiers, including 6 officers, while capturing and destroying all the camps in the garrison. The liberation Army killed another 19 soldiers after trouncing reinforcements from Jigjiga garrison town.

In total, the death toll on the Ethiopian Army side during those operations was 168 dead. The Liberation Army captured heavy weapons, food, medicine and item looted from the civilian population while freeing 50 conscripts from the local area, who were forcefully being trained to kill their own people.

This operation was in response to appalling acts carried out by the Ethiopian Occupation Army in Ogaden who massacred in Cool blood 18 civilians in the hamlet of Dhabo Jiriso, near Birqot, while abducting 15 others on May 27, 2012. The Ethiopian Army, which committed that crime against humanity, came from the town of Birqot on the highway between Degahbur and Qabri daher. The slaughterer troops used ghastly manners in carrying out the massacres- some of the victims were beheaded others were killed with stones, while the rest were mutilated. The Ethiopian Army conducted similar acts around Degahbur and Wardheer regions recently.

The Ogaden National Liberation Army will keep defending the Ogaden people until their right to self-determination is implemented.

Issued by ONLF

Names of some of the executed civilians that were identified by ONLA: –

1. Mo’alin Adan Hassan Kur’as

2. Mohamed Mohamud Ali-Madoobe

3. Bishar Ahmed Ali-Madoobe

4. Adan Hassan Abdi-Shide

5. Hassan Bashir Mo’alin Abdi

6. Ahmed-Nur Mohamed Hasan

7. Abdi-Rashid Sheikh Abdulahi Sheikh Ali-Dhagood

8. Taman Abdi Duwane Ismail

Below are the names of some of the missing reported by the civilian relatives:-

1. Farah Mohamed Abdi  Odowa

2. Taman Ali Madobe

3. Ahmed-Faroole Mahamud Ali-Madoobe

4. Siraje Ahmed-Fiqane Hassan

5. Farhan Taman Ali-Madoobe

6. Abdulahi Ise

7. Mohamed Ali-Barre Aw-Hirsi

8. Kilas Abdulahi

9. Gaydh  Abdi Odowa (with severe injury)

Ogaden National Liberation Front