A UN delegation in Somalia has been told rebels in south-eastern Ethiopia will observe a ceasefire for the next week while they are visiting the country.

In a statement, the group that has been fighting for independence for ethnic Somalis for more than 20 years, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, said its fighters had been instructed to cease all military operations to provide maximum security for the UN team.

The ONLF draws its support from Somali clans and has accused the Somalian authorities of imposing a blockade on five districts, choking off commercial trade.

Large parts ONLF territory has been inaccessible to outside agencies in recent months as Ethiopian troops have tried to suppress the insurgency.

The UN group will look at human rights and humanitarian issues in the conflict between opposition armies in the Somali region.