The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebel group has issued a stark warning regarding oil exploration in Ethiopia’s Ogaden region, describing it as the “looting and disregard” of the Somali people’s natural wealth and stating that “this is not the time for words.”
The brief message from the ONLF leadership follows an earlier interview with Ogaden News Agency (ONA) in which ONLF Chairman Abdirahman Mahdi described the exploration of oil and other mineral resources in the region as a “red line,” warning of significant dangers. He affirmed that the Somali people will protect these resources. The group has long opposed Ethiopia’s claims to drill for oil in the Ogaden, often obstructing such efforts.
The ONLF statement also highlighted what it called severe health risks to local communities from “illegal oil drilling.” It pointed to ongoing pollution from drilling sites operated by Chinese companies, which it said have agreements with Ethiopia but lack the consent of the local population. According to the ONLF, these companies have shown no concern for civilian safety, instead engaging in “deliberate negligence,” citing research published by The Guardian and testimonies from eyewitnesses.
Who are the Ogaden National Liberation Front – ONLF
Founded in 1984, the Ogaden National Liberation Front is a nationalist movement that seeks self-determination for ethnic Somalis in the Ogaden, a region of eastern Ethiopia. The ONLF describes itself as a “grassroots social and political movement” that serves as a defender of Somalis in the region.
The group’s statement also said that since the transfer of the Ogaden region by colonial powers to Ethiopian administration, Ethiopia has consistently engaged in territorial expansion and the “looting of natural resources and livestock,” in what it described as a disrespectful handover that disregarded the rights of the Somali people.
