Ogaden National Liberation Front claims major battlefield gain

OIN, October 21, 2000

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) said in a communiqué issued yesterday that its forces killed 39 Ethiopian "occupation forces" and wounded 22 others in several battles during the month of September 2000. Among the dead is said to be an unnamed Ethiopian army officer.

According to the communiqué, on September 18th at Gumarey an engagement with the enemy occupation forces resulted in 6 Ethiopian soldiers killed and 3 wounded. On September 21st, near Gode, the capital city of Ogaden, Ogaden National Liberation Army (ONLA) commandos engaged the enemy in a fierce battle resulting in 12 Ethiopian occupation troops killed and 5 wounded. On September 20th, in an engagement at Wijiwaaji, ONLA fighters killed 4 occupation troops and wounded 2 others. On September 23rd, 10 Ethiopian soldiers were killed and 8 wounded in an engagement with ONLA fighters near Qorahai.

The most recent fighting is said to have taken place on September 25th at Garwaan village, near Nusdariiq town, and ONLA fighters reportedly killed 3 Ethiopian occupation troops and wounded 2 others. On the same day at Laas Dhankayre located on the route between Qabri Dahar and Danaan, ONLA fighters surrounded a detachment of occupation troops killing 4 and wounding 2 others with the rest fleeing in disarray. Included among the dead in this battle was an enemy officer.

In its statement, the ONLF stated that Ethiopian troop moral is at its lowest in years and the troops are increasingly refusing to fight and instead have been deserting their bases and surrendering to ONLA fighters. The Front pledged its army will engage the enemy until the yoke of colonialism is removed.

The Ethiopian army has been increasingly under attack in eastern Oromia and in the Ogaden region in recent months. Last week alone, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) claimed that its army has killed 75, wounded 48 and captured 5 Ethiopian army soldiers in Habro district of eastern Oromia. Reports reaching OIN say the TPLF regime of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi is moving a large number of its army from the Ethiopia-Eritrea border to eastern Oromia and to the Ogaden in its attempt to stop advances by the Oromo and Ogadeni fighters.