Ogaden Agreement

Despite Ethiopia`s aversion to the deal, both the emperor and his group of ministers were reluctant to actually present the opinion needed to end the deal. A number of proposals for a new agreement, presented to the British in early 1944, were quickly rejected. As John Spencer, a U.S. international law adviser to Ethiopia at the time, explains, “They feared retaliation in the form of a renewal of Tigray province in southern Eritrea, Sidamo and De Gemu Gofa, which border Kenya, and perhaps other western regions such as Wollega and Illubabor provinces. These fears have been the subject of endless discussions with me. [12] In the end, Ethiopian officials overcame their concerns and conveyed to the British chargé d`affaires, on May 25, 1944, the three-month notice period as well as the request for immediate negotiations for a new agreement. By that time, not only had the U.S. resumed its diplomatic mission in Ethiopia, but it had referred to the country as Lend-Lease, which gave a decisive boost to Ethiopian officials in their negotiations with the U.K. [13] Post-conflict phase (March 16, 1978-present): On August 15, 1984, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) was established by Abdirahman Mahdi (Chairman of the Somali Western Liberation Movement-WSLMYU), Mohamed Ismail Omar (Western Somali Liberation Front-WSLF) and other members of the WSLF. On 22 February 1994, Government forces killed approximately 81 civilians attending an ONLF rally in the town of Wardheer (Werder). ONLF rebels killed two government soldiers in Har Weyne on 7 April 2004 and ONLF rebels killed four government soldiers in Qabridaharre (Kebri Dahar) on 8 April 2004. Government forces fired on 16 June 2004 at a truck travelling between Qabridaharre (Kebri Dahar) and Wardheer (Werder), resulting in the deaths of ten civilians. On 1 October 2004, Government forces encountered ONLF rebels in the Ogaden area, resulting in the deaths of 17 Government soldiers.

On 30 November 2004, Government forces killed four civilians in Qabridaharre district (Kebri Dahar). . . .

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