April 27, 2007
Interesting times
Yesterday was quite a day in Ethiopia. There were the continuing repercussions of the ONLF attack in Somali region in the morning. Around lunch, students started throwing stones at each other - and worse - at Addis Ababa University, both its Sedist and Arat Kilo campuses (see below). Around five in the afternoon, the freed Ethiopian captives flew into town (see above). The poor old ILO conference at the Economic Commission for Africa got a bit overshadowed in all the running around.
Here are some headlines from the ongoing ONLF story.
Ethiopia attack demonstrates dangers of China's Africa push - Apr 26A deadly guerrilla attack on an oil installation in Ethiopia's remote east has highlighted the growing penetration and perils of Chinese interests in the vast Horn of Africa nation and the continent as a whole.
Ethiopia rebels want to hand over Chinese hostages - Apr 26
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian rebels who killed 74 people and seized seven Chinese workers in a raid on an oilfield said on Thursday they had no plans to hold the hostages or attack other foreign companies.
Ethiopia hunts for kidnapped Chinese oil workers Apr 25
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian troops searched on Wednesday for seven Chinese and Ethiopian workers kidnapped in a rebel attack on an oilfield that killed 74 people in a remote and barren southeastern region.
FACTBOX - Facts about Ethiopia's ONLF rebels - Apr 25
Reuters - A guerrilla attack on a Chinese-run oilfield in southeast Ethiopia killing 65 locals and nine Chinese is one of the highest-profile operations to date of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).
Here are key facts about ONLF:
Rebels kill 74 in Ethiopia oil field raid April 24
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Gunmen killed 65 Ethiopians and nine Chinese in their sleep on Tuesday in a pre-dawn raid on an oil field that Ethiopia blamed on rebels backed by regional foe Eritrea. A separatist guerrilla group, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), said it carried out the attack on the field which is run by a Chinese firm.
Posted by aheavens at April 27, 2007 3:10 AM