CALL TO ACTION IN THE OGADEN!
Recognizing that the Ogaden conflict can not be resolved without the participation and mediation of the international community, we of Resolve Ogaden Coalition urge international governments and the United Nations, to spearhead international efforts to mediate between the Ogaden National Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government in order to construct a comprehensive just solution which shall resolve the long standing conflict and injustice in the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia. Recognizing that the Ogaden Conflict centers around the denial of self-determination, and acknowledging that the Ogaden people have been the victims of successive Ethiopian governments we strongly recommend that the international community address the issue of Ogaden self-determination and take into consideration the desires and wishes of the mass people of the Ogaden who have been historically and are currently neglected and isolated from political matters and decisions regarding the region.
Furthermore, Resolve Ogaden Coalition strongly encourages donor states and the international community to privately and publicly call upon the Ethiopian government to engage in direct talks with the Ogaden National Liberation Front, and to make military assistance to Ethiopia dependent on the government’s participation in such talks. In addition we urge international organizations to spearhead fact finding missions in the Ogaden in order to document and report abuses in the Ogaden and hold perpetrators accountable for such abuses.
In addition we call upon the Ethiopian government to immediately halt hostilities against the civilian population of the Ogaden, including mass detentions, rape, forced relocations, and the mistreatment of detainees, and abide by international human rights and humanitarian laws. Furthermore, the Ethiopian government must support full, unhindered and immediate access to the Ogaden region for international aid organizations, media, and human rights groups.
Furthermore we call upon oil companies operating in the Ogaden region to cease operations for as long as the Ogaden conflict continues, in addition we urge such investors to use their influence in order to encourage negotiations between all parties affiliated in the conflict.
In conclusion, it is important to note that the Ogaden conflict is one that is fueled by years of political injustice and repression and that no amount of “humanitarian aid” will resolve the Ogaden issue. Although drought, famine and poverty are widespread in the region, we strongly believe that if given the opportunity the inhabitants of the Ogaden can constructively utilize their resources and overcome such humanitarian disasters.
RESOLVE OGADEN COALITION exists to make this solution a reality. Please help us succeed!
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