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Melez zanawi frustrated accuses US of supporting ONLF

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Khalid Ali
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Melez zanawi frustrated accuses US of supporting ONLF

Postby Khalid Ali » Sat Sep 10, 2011 10:31 am

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 002597 http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/08/07AD ... A2597.html

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, AND INR/AA
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER
CJTF-HOA AND USCENTCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL MOPS ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: PRIME MINISTER MELES FLUSTERED ON THE
OGADEN

REF: A. ADDIS ABABA 2566

¶B. ADDIS ABABA 2445

Classified By: AMBASSADOR DONALD YAMAMOTO. REASON: 1.4 (B) AND (D).

¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY. Prime Minister Meles expressed to the
Ambassador and ORA chief on August 18 his frustration over
international criticism of Ethiopian operations in the
Ogaden. Defensive in tone, the Prime Minister said the
counterinsurgency operation against the Ogadeni National
Liberation Front (ONLF) and extremist elements crossing from
Somalia was "a domestic terrorism issue" that was coming to a
conclusion. He emphasized that the Ethiopian Government was
not using food as a weapon against the people of the Ogaden,
and that the government was arranging for food deliveries and
welcomed additional assistance from the U.S. He asserted
that civilians were not being targeted, and that actions were
directed only against insurgents and hard-core insurgent
supporters, carefully noting that supporters forced to
support the ONLF were not being arrested.

¶2. (S/NF) The Prime Minister questioned out of frustration
whether the U.S. understood and supported, or at least
accepted, what Ethiopia was doing in the Ogaden. He alleged
that ONLF leaders were in the U.S., including former Admiral
of the Somali Navy Mohamed Omar Osman, and remarked that he
had received "intelligence" that that USG (United States Government) officials were
meeting with these officials. Ambassador asserted that we
were not meeting with ONLF officials and requested specific
information from the Prime Minister on ONLF individuals whom
the government believes are engaged in terrorist activities.
The Prime Minister's questions reflect Ethiopia's irritation
and frustration over their actions in the Ogaden, and their
reaction has been to hold information and deny charges.
Ambassador urged the Prime Minister to pursue a more open
strategy with the press and international community by
explaining to the public their activities and goals in the
Ogaden, and to address concerns raised rather than to simply
ignore or deny charges. END SUMMARY.

----------------------
WHY ALL THE CRITICISM?
----------------------

¶3. (S/NF) Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi met with the
Ambassador and ORA chief on August 18 and displayed
frustration and deep irritation with the international press,
NGO, and diplomatic criticism of Ethiopian counterinsurgency
operations in the Ogaden. He asserted that it was a
three-phase operation. First, the Ethiopian military (ENDF)
had been able to disrupt terrorist activities by attacking
the command and control structure of the ONLF and terrorist
groups crossing the border from Somalia. Underscoring that
the ONLF was a terrorist organization that brutally murdered
Chinese and Ethiopian oil workers in April 2007, the Prime
Minister said that the ONLF and other extremist groups had
been scattered into smaller groups. Phase 2 was now underway
to pursue these smaller groups as well as hard-core
supporters of the ONLF. The Prime Minister made it clear
that those civilians and individuals forced to support the
ONLF would not be arrested, only those actively supporting
and aiding ONLF fighters. The Prime Minister underscored,
however, that the ENDF faced significant challenges in
locating key ONLF leaders in country, a gap that needed to be
rectified in the near future.

¶4. (S/NF) The Prime Minister noted that no one was starving
in the Ogaden, and that price hikes were only a recent
phenomena in the Ogaden. Food prices had increased far more
rapidly in Addis Ababa than in the Ogaden. He added that the
ENDF was not targeting civilians, was not conducting
indiscriminate killings and rape, was not burning villages,
and was not forcing innocent civilians from their homes into
cantonment camps. The ENDF was targeting operations only
against those who were clearly ONLF and hard-core ONLF
supporters. Additionally, the ENDF and Ethiopian security
forces planned to pursue and neutralize any threat posed by
the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).


ADDIS ABAB 00002597 002 OF 003


---------------------
SECURITY IS ESSENTIAL
---------------------

¶5. (S/NF) When the Ambassador raised the issue of the
critical need to deliver emergency food aid and to allow
resumption of commercial food (which provides up to 80
percent of all food for the Ogaden), the Prime Minister
replied that security was essential to ensure that commercial
traffic was not being used to support the ONLF and other
insurgents. Security concerns were disrupting commercial
traffic, but security was improving and commercial operations
should improve. The Prime Minister expressed consternation
and irritation that there was so much international concern
over the Ogaden. He repeatedly stressed that the situation
was improving and that conditions would improve. The Prime
Minister discussed with the Ambassador and ORA chief concerns
of continued terrorist threats against targets in Ethiopia,
especially in Addis Ababa. The incursion by insurgents from
Somalia into Ethiopia, whom the GOE charges the ONLF is
supporting, was challenging Ethiopia's security apparatus.
Meles underscored that Ethiopian security forces were
securing Ethiopia as best they could in advance of the
Millennium celebrations in Addis Ababa the week of September
10, as well as to secure the Ogaden region.

------------------------
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE U.S.
------------------------

¶6. (S/NF) The Prime Minister asked if the U.S. understood and
supported Ethiopia's campaign in the Ogaden. The U.S., more
than any other country, should understand the security
threats from Somalia to Ethiopia, terrorist operations in
Ethiopia (especially targeting Addis Ababa), and ONLF
activities in the Ogaden. Meles said that comments by the
New York Times charging massive human rights violations in
the Ogaden, and statements by members of the U.S. Congress,
were undercutting Ethiopia's efforts in the Ogaden and
providing credence to ONLF disinformation. The Prime
Minister asked about rumors that ONLF leaders were visiting
the U.S., and that USG officials intended to meet with the
ONLF; the PM also asked about a reported meeting in the U.S.
among the OLF, ONLF, and the opposition Coalition for Unity
and Democracy (CUD). The Ambassador replied that the U.S.
had no intention of meeting with ONLF representatives, and
that if ONLF officials were in the U.S., we welcomed
information from the GOE on who the individuals were and what
activities they had been involved in support of terrorism.
The Ambassador underscored that trust between the U.S. and
Ethiopia, an important strategic ally for the U.S., was
critical to counter efforts by extremists seeking to undercut
this relationship.

¶7. (S/NF) The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for
U.S. assistance and support (especially in Somalia), in
countering Eritrean destabilizing activities, and in
enhancing Ethiopia's security. But doubts remained among
Ethiopian officials, especially in the Ethiopian military,
that the U.S. was not sympathetic to what Ethiopia was doing
in the Ogaden and did not understand the security threats.

----------------------------------
ADVICE FROM THE U.S.: TRANSPARENCY
----------------------------------

¶8. (S/NF) The Ambassador suggested to Prime Minister Meles
that the GOE needed to be up-front in explaining its
operations in the Ogaden, and to address international
concerns and criticism. The GOE needed to explain what the
conditions were in the Ogaden, and how it was meeting
humanitarian and security needs, especially how humanitarian
food relief was progressing, and what steps the GOE was
taking to allow the resumption of commercial food deliveries.
Further, the GOE needed to articulate the threats, and how
they were being addressed.

¶9. (S/NF) COMMENT. The Prime Minister was clearly exhausted
from months of addressing operations in Somalia and added to

ADDIS ABAB 00002597 003 OF 003


his burden the challenges in the Ogaden. We have been
working in private with the Ethiopian government at every
level--from the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and
Foreign Minister, to Meles, close inner cabinet, including
the Security Chief--to advocate that the GOE be more open in
addressing the concerns raised by the press and international
community, as well as to open more corridors for humanitarian
food relief and commercial traffic, key elements for the
Ogaden. The U.S. Embassy has also taken the lead among the
international community, organizing meetings with the NGOs,
UN, and diplomatic corps (ref B) to ensure accuracy of
information and coordination of actions to help the GOE
address the problems in the Ogaden. The U.S. Embassy
decision on a disaster declaration (ref A) will help meet GOE
requests for additional food assistance for the Ogaden. END
COMMENT.

http://wikileaks.org/cable/2007/08/07AD ... A2597.html

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Shift
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Re: Melez zanawi frustrated accuses US of supporting ONLF

Postby Shift » Sat Sep 10, 2011 11:00 am

It was all good just a week ago,malez is feeling the heat tell silaanyo not to stand close :lol:

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Re: Melez zanawi frustrated accuses US of supporting ONLF

Postby Queen_Arawello » Mon Sep 12, 2011 9:48 pm

:lol: :lol: .ciyaartii ayaa kululatay

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Re: Melez zanawi frustrated accuses US of supporting ONLF

Postby quark » Thu Sep 15, 2011 7:20 pm

ONLF :clap:

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Re: Melez zanawi frustrated accuses US of supporting ONLF

Postby ToughGong » Thu Sep 15, 2011 7:30 pm

ONLF :up: :D

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Re: Melez zanawi frustrated accuses US of supporting ONLF

Postby Babygirl- » Sun Sep 18, 2011 12:55 am

ONLF :heart: :rose: ABSAMES our brothers (N COUSINS ) from another father (our UNCLE). :rose: ALL ABSAME & ADERKOOD :up: :rose: :heart:


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