Gashamo, 23 June 2009 – A group of ONLF rebels killed two and seriously wounded several others when they ambushed a civilian convey carrying khaat [a narcotic leaf] from the town of Danod to Gashamo in Ethiopia’s Somali region.

Both victims are said to be well known traders in the region and are of Somaliland origins. It is not known why the guerrilla militants attacked their convey but this is not the first time they killed civilians in the region who hail from Somaliland – many believe ONLF has been angered by Somaliland’s relationship with Ethiopia.

ONLF is a rebel group based in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, they are said to get support from Eritrea just like the Al Shabab rebels in Somalia. ONLF claims that Ethiopia is an occupaying government and they have been carrying out insurgency attacks ever since 1984.

No official comments from the Ethiopian government.

Both men were buried in the town of Gashamo this morning, while one of the wounded was taken to Burao’s general hospital in Somaliland and is now in stable condition.

Source: Somalilandress

1 COMMENT

  1. may give mercy to those who died there, but don`t think that the ONLF Has carried out any diract attack to any civilians,
    In the Ogaden or Somaliland their aim is to attack Ethiopian Soldiers in Ogaden,

  2. please dnt believe the ethioppian probaganda iam 1000% sure its not the somali lebaration front dat commted these murders its a strategy of pitting the somali people against each. and it already worked as my borther who wrote this article allready falled for the abbysinian propaganda am sure ogadeen and issaq somalis dont hate each other and it would msitake for for the lipartion to take such a action and they now this too well they not just a kiilin machine. long live somali wayn

  3. This is another sad day. why do ONLF like to kill civilians? they publicly oppose our demand for recognition and attack Somaliland.
    why doesn't america condemn the killings? i read about pass killings of civilians by ONLF..hundreds of innocent people http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/pha100207.htm

    ONE DAY THEY WILL BROUGHT TO ICC TO JUSTICE!!!!

  4. Hi there all,

    Let us set the record straight before we get lost in the fruitless argument of tribal chauvanism.

    1)Hurting INNOCENT civilians anywhere is wrong but who knows whether or not these two killed persons were guilty of some crime or innocent?.
    2) Who knows for a fact that ONLF actually killed them?. Many things can wrongly be accused of ONLF as the case is with any political organisation. And it is hard to believe that ONLF would just kill an innocent person for no reason. In fact, it is not their interest to kill innocent persons and they know it very well and more than anybody else because achieving their goal depends on the support of their people.
    3)Danod and Gashamo are towns within the borders of Ogadenia and, therefore, whether or not one likes is beyond Hargheisa’s jurispridence and reach.
    One can not legimately argue to have laws in their territory and yet advocate for citizens of another territory. It simply doesn’t make sense. You either respect territorial limits or be guided by your clan instinct and lose your head and reasoning.
    If Hargheisa wants to be respected in its borders, then it ought to learn that it has no business beyond the same borders. And the sooner the better.

  5. O.N.L.F hadaf keedu mahan iney dad shacab ah laysto dagaalkeedu wuxuu ku aadan yahay ciidanka wayaanaha ee dulmiga kuhaya dadka reer Ogaadeeniya.
    Wayaanuhu wuxuu isku dayaa suu dadka walaalaha ah ee soomaaliyeed isugu dirilahaa marka waxaan leeyahay waa in arintaa aad looga feejignaado

  6. I don't think ONLF Kill Civilian ,, No way
    ONLF fight against Ethiopian force, who killing there people
    this is propaganda news really …

  7. Ahmed,

    Most people who made comments here made sense but unfortunately you are not one of them.

    Here is your silly statement, I am not where the logic is.

    "One can not legimately argue to have laws in their territory and yet advocate for citizens of another territory. It simply doesn't make sense. You either respect territorial limits or be guided by your clan instinct and lose your head and reasoning".

    I think you are the one who is "guided by your clan instinct and lost your head and reasoning".

  8. ahmedyy,

    It is not good to be selective in your comment. By saying “most of the commentators” you are simply picking up the favorable ones and conveniently ignoring the non-savory ones.

    ONLF is not obliged to recognize Somaliland (publically or privately)and the same is true with Somaliland. Also ONLF certainly did not kill hundreds (guilty or innocent) of people who hail from there.
    It is also important to grow up and know where your allegiance lies, across the border with your clan or with those who you live with and you share with the suffering and pain of the Ethiopian occupation regardless of their clan.

    One can’t have both ways and it really pays to know that.

  9. ONLF will continue to loose sypathy for their cause if they ill-fully continue to kill and injure Somalilanders and non-Ogaden Somalis living in the Oogo. This practice of antagonizing Somalilanders can have repercussion that will not be helpful to their objectives and goals i.e. to live in peace with other Somalis in the region while fighting the oppression of the Ethiopian government.

    Neither launching attacks from/on Somaliland territories or killing civilians can be tolerated for a long time as it has been going on for long time. Somaliland has laws and if these laws are willfully broken by any group whether they hail from Somaliland or ONLF, they will be brought to justice through court of law and held responsible for their actions. It wants to live in peace with all of its neighbors and therefore would not want any unnecessary friction between itself and its neighbors, so if ONFL wants peace with Somalilanders, they ought to respect and desist from such belligerent behaviour towards Somalilanders and their brothers/sister in the Oogo and Haud for an attack on one is an attack on the other. Isn't their objective to fight Ethiopian government, what is killing inocent Somalis going about their life and business going to accomplish. Know your enemies and know them well and refrain from such distastful actions.

  10. I do not think this is the action ONLF. People in Somaliland and Ogaden are brothers and sisters.
    ONLF do not deliberatly target civilian let alone somali civilians.

  11. Bro thanks to news but also other source says, in different way, in my point of veiw i was in Ogaden long time, i am not Ogaden clan, i am sheekhaal, and i know even the war between some reer cabdille clan and sheekhaal and the main cause was Ethiopian, they want to divide somalis in the region, i was living in Fiq and also Jigjiga, ONLF really faces war againist Ethiopia, may be there is regime in Somaliland who does not want ONLF, also may be some one in Ogaden sees Somaliland as haters, but fact is far from there, some times Ethiopian Troops takes Civilian trucks and onlf clash over them, so we cant say this time it is deliberatly, here is some other source, in this website.

    http://www.horusocod.com/news.php?readmore=470

  12. cumar,saaxiib waxaan dhihi lahaaba adaa yidhi,aad ayaanad u mahadsan tahay
    Waxaan u malaynayaa in fakarka dadka uu cad yahay,kaas oo odhanaya waxaan suurto gal ahayn in ay onlf ay dad shacab ah iska layso si ulakac ah,waxaan kali ah oo aan dhihi lahaa in rabbi ha'garansiiyo reer soomaaliland sida ay cidkasta u jeceshahay in meesha uu rabbi aduunka kaga abuuray ay mudan tahay in lagu xurmeeyo.
    Iibsashada aad dadka soomaaliyeed ee itoobiya guumaysato aad iibsanaysaan waa wax laga xumaado oo aan la'iloobi karin.

  13. the so-called somaliland fake country, fake government should not sent its clan into Ogadenia or more "somalilanders" will be killed by ONLF patriotic forces.

    i wish ONLF killed more of your people who are slaves of the west and xabashi. somaliland will be destroyed soon.
    Ogadenia will be free and somaliland will never get its recognition!!

  14. Ogaden Fighter
    you wrote " I wish ONLF killed more of your people who who are slaves of the west and xabashi, somaliland will be destroyed soon.
    ogaden will be free and somaliland will never get its recognitoin.

    I don't doubt you are Ogaden fighter because that is not how they talk and what believe, but you are one of those hypocrites out there who always try to ignite fire or create condition of hostility among people so shut your badmouth.

    to somalilanders alghough I don't like your adminstration in hargaeysa's policy towards Ogadens, I opologize what that guy above comments

  15. Ogaden figher

    oOps!! I meant I really doubt that you are Ogader fighter because that is not how thay "ONLF" talk or believe.

  16. It is wonderful report, I totaly dis agree for this comment,because Somali politicians blame each other geting hand the ONLF.

    Example When Puntlnad and Somaliland were fighting, they accuse each other for ONLF fighting biside of, then it is became a habitual of the Somalis to acuse onlf killling civilians.
    Freedom fighters of Ogaden they Know their enemy and they know their goals so no sigle Somali person is an enemy of the ONLF.

  17. ONLF lost the war, their land and women so they take it out on civilians from Somaliland, this will not win them hearts in Somaliland, they will just have more Somalilanders close to Ethiopia and sympathetic with the Ethiopian people.

    No wonder they are not free they dont even know how to fight nor win hearts or diplomacy for that matter, bunch of nomads with few riffles from world war 2 running around in the bushes.

  18. i hail from the puntland administration, and as a puntlander and a somali, i condemm what happened to the 2 fellow somalis that died, but under any circumstances i will never believe that Onlf has commit such assualt

    i also wanna say, that puntland administration and somaliland administration have both devil and stupid and dumm a leaders by simply siding with ethiopia and and support the continuous suffering of our somali brothers and sisters ..

    why is it that we peaceful northern regions have to be supported by ethiopia whilst we carry out ethiopian interest which doesn't benefit us at all….

    how come eritrea can stand on its own feet and somaliland and puntland need to be supported by ethiopian regime…
    ..the answer is very simple aslong as puntland and somaliland are not cooperating with each other and they are building armies towards each other,,…we will be puppets for ethiopia..

    somalilanders above everything we are somali and muslim, with the right leaders we can not only be succesful but loving brothers who are succesfull..please support the peace between puntland and somaliland,….and also what u want for yourself want the same thing for the somalis being occupied by ethiopia

  19. I am from Gashamo, and there our enemy number1 is the Oganden /ONLF terrorists, so please guys stop blaming someone else and open your eyes to reality.

  20. xaaji,

    while I agree with your sentiment that human suffering should be stopped, I question whether you understand that ALL people in the horn are suffering. It is time we all work together, whatever our ethnicity. At the end of the day it should not matter who the "leaders" are. What we should work for is peace and prosperity. For me, if I can feed my family, work at what I like, pray to God without trouble and enjoy life, I do not care to blame everyone for everything. You mention Eritrea standing alone. Ha! There people are suffering at the hands of the ego of Afwerki. Do you think the poor farmer there has time to worry who is in the parliament. We all know politicians are greedy and will do nothing for the people. So let us stop killing each other and start working towards building our neighborhood. I promise you, if we can work together to feed and educate all our people in the region, then all of this ignorant tribalism would go away.

    Peace my brothers.

  21. halimo

    waa in ilaahay lagacabsado marka hore
    marka xiga waxaan laayahay mamulka waqooyiga Somalia
    waxuu rabaa in laiska hor keeno laba da shacab eewalaalaha ah
    lakin socon mayso inshalaaah waxaan leeyahay mamulka waqooyi inay ka waan toobaan dhibka ay ugasanayaan shacabka OGADENIA..
    ONLF cidna cadowkuma ah Hassan Hashi yow waxanyna utaagantahay socelinta ciida OGADENIA inshaalaaaaaaaaah

  22. walaalayaal waxba yaana indhaha lais tirin ee halaga fiirsado waxyaabaha la qorayo ONLF waliged qof shacab ah iskama dilin waayo dowlada itoobiya waxay dooneesaa sidi ay iskaga hor keeni laheed walaalaha somalida, taasna ma dhaceeso ONLF goolkeeda waa sidii ay u xoreen laheed dadka uu gumeesiga heesto ee somalida Ogadenia,

    waad mahadsantihiin

  23. it is not true onlf is not kill some one freedom fighters of ogaden insha alaah

    dont worry all somali ogadenia if allah say we wil come freedom ogadenia

    dabaqoodhiyeenoow meel day dayda idinkuna horaleydaad tihiin wasa iyo gaalada beenta badan ee ilaah aqooneey any way ogaden we will gam freedom insha alaah

  24. Ogadeen iyo reer Gashamo wey is yaqaniin, mar uu Afweyne soo hubeyo Ogadeen oo u yidhahdo ku dhufta reer Gashamo iyo mar ay la baxaan ONLFba wanaag nagama dhexeyo ee warka dambe ha la dhawrow.

  25. here is another number of maangaab like ABRAHIN and HASSAN

    somali hadda waxaas wayka baxday just move forward not backward example idinkoo safar aha oo gawaari wata haday qaarna wada sifican u hayaan oo horay u socdaan qaarna dibdib u socdaan kuwii dib u socda ama galaad kuwiitagay gaarimahayaan markaad islaam ayaad sheegaynaysiin therefore addunka meel ka raaca oo iska daaya waxyaalahaas oo kale

  26. assalamu laykum

    i read the article and all comments in this topic most of the comments are good but some of them are corrupted may be luck of language either English or somali we are muslim people we are brothers and sisters same (eligion,calture and languae) ethiopia are wolves they are enemy of somali people where ever they are .. dadka qaar ayaa dhaha axmardu haday somali akhiro meel ay ugu hagaagan heli lahaayeen way raadsan lahaayeen, ONLF are freedom fighters their target is not civilians if u visit jail ogaden in jijiga u will never imagine the number of people over crowded in one single room including pregnant women and children i can say this is well fabricated lie and somaliland and ogaden people are brothers and sisters 3 weeks ago ethiopia jailed and tortured number of ogaden people in raaso with out any reason some of them are aid workers helping poor people in raaso wich part of ogaden you can understand how ethiopia are enemy of somali people so let us stand together and help each other please stop complaining each other just only helping each other
    thanks

  27. ill make this short and sweet.
    OGADENIS if you not carefull you'll have two enemies in the ogadenia Somaliland and Ethiopia.When the bullets start Flying they will be No mercy. as you allready WEAk it wont take much to take your land ,women and dignity.
    So my Advice 2 tha Dummie Ogadenis-Watch your Step.
    Somaliland First

  28. Gaashaamo waa tuula yaroo Ogadenia ka tirsan. Tuulada sidii la doono ayaa loogu talin haddii kuwa degan ay dadka kale wax la qabi waayaana, xadka unbaa dhankale loo dhaafin. Sheekaduna meeshaa ayey ku gudhi.

    Hargeysa ha ogaato haddey sii wadaan dabadhilif-nimada Xabashida, iney ku jabi doonaan waayo ONLF waxey quusisay TPLF-ta ay dabaqoodhiga u yihiin.