INTERVIEW WITH ISSAYAS AFEWORKI – 1986

[luis1]

http://assenna.com/interview-with-issay ... orki-1986/

Question: You spoke of a difference in the aims of the WSLF and the Somali people.


How do you characterize the nature of this gap?


Issayas: The WSLF doesn’t have a clear view on solutions to problems. In the 1960s unity was the dream of every Somali. Reality was different. Djibouti became independent, British and Italian Somalia formed the present state, the Ogaden was left out and the Northern Frontier District was incorporated into Kenya and recognized as such by the Somali government. Where does the WSLF find its social base among these divisions? Is it exclusively for liberation of the Ogaden? If so, does it want an independent state? Is it calling for regional autonomy? In reality, the WSLF has been a projection of the Somali government, it was not an independent organisation. Its leadership is not competent to claim that it expresses the aspirations of the Somali people. They don’t even know what they’re doing or what they want to achieve, whether they want to fight for an independent Ogaden or unite that part of the country with Somalia. What they want is not very clear. The other part of the problem is their practice; they are not active. Also, they claim areas inhabited by Afars, Oromos and other ethnic groups in Ethiopia and they’ve come into conflict with the Oromo Liberation Front and other political groups which have been active in these areas. They don’t have a defined policy and it’s for those reasons we say they’re not the organisation to fight for the rights of the Somalis in the Ogaden. But since there is no other alternative and they claim to be part of that movement it’s not for us to issue decrees saying they only represent part of the country. We have our attitudes.

[SANDIEGUY]

Hit it out of the park!

[Xildiiid]

Afewerki was right. By the 1980's the WSLF was nothing more than a tribal militia used by Afweyne Barre to extort and brutalize innocent nomads in search for information about the liberation movements that had their military bases in that region.

[luis1]

But Xilddid, Why are you so sure that WSLF was just a tribal militia after 1980?

Do you have any article which prove your standpoint?

[Xildiiid]

They became a militia after the defeat in Somali-Ethio war in 1978 but it was in the 80's the attacks and abuse of innocent nomads culminated. Here's an extract from a report written by the HRW.





SNM was not only created to topple Afweyne Barre but to defend and protect innocent Isaaq civilians and nomads.

[luis1]

I know your source:

The name of your source is: "Evil Days: Thirty Years of War and Famine in Ethiopia"

But this is just a source I can not create an opinion with one source.

Perhaps there are somali sources about WSLF fate after 1980.

[Xildiiid]

Somali sources tend to be unobjective and often tends to provide opinions and not facts. The report I presented was written by a non governmental, non profitable organization that conducts research on human rights abuses.

[luis1]

Well,I have read your source and this source has a lot of information about WSLF and ONLF.

For example: The report says ONLF was created in 1984 but it didnt make a military impact in the region.


I have read several articles and books about WSLF and my opinions is WSLF was weakened by SNM and Ethiopians attacks. WSLF was not a serious threat for Mengistu after 1986.

This is my opinion,perhaps I am wrong but if somebody has a different standpoint about WSLF I would like to know it.

[Xildiiid]

ONLF was created by former members of the WSLF in 1984. The main idea was to create a political organization and a military wing but they didn't have financial resources nor the weaponry and therefore couldn't impact the situation in the region. The SNM defeated the WSLF and they were non existent in the Hawd, Shiinile zone and Dirdhaba where SNM had its headquarters.

[luis1]

WSLF problems began after 1978.Siad Barre wanted to control WSLF political and military operations but WSLF leaders didnt accept Siad Barre pressure to change the goals of the guerrilla. Siad Barre wanted to become WSLF in a pawn and a slave of his regime.This situation brought many conflicts between Siad Barre and WSLF.Siad Barre changed many WSLF authorities,because they dont support his actions. WSLF lost much of its power in these internal struggles.

I have an interesting interview with Mohamed Osman,ONLF leader:

He talks about when ONLF was created and when ONLF began its war against Ethiopia.

http://www.hiiraan.com/news2_rss/2009/O ... ation.aspx

[Asharq Al-Awsat] When was the ONLF founded, and what are the goals for which it is fighting?

[Osman] The ONLF was founded in 1984, but began armed action 10 years later, in 1994, after the ruling party in Ethiopia reneged on its promises to the political parties and to the peoples of Ethiopia and revoked an agreement to resolve the Ogaden issue in a peaceful way. The front's goal is to liberate this region from the Ethiopian occupation.

[Xildiiid]

When I told you Somali sources are unobjective, this is exactly what I mean.


The ONLF leader was in Afweyne Barres regime and one of his loyal servants and allies.

[luis1]

Mengistu faced two somali guerrillas: WSLF and SALF ( Somali-Abbo Liberation Front).

Somali Abbo were a mixture of somalis and oromo.

SALF was totally defeated by Mengistu.

The ONLF leader was in Afweyne Barres regime and one of his loyal servants and allies.

Yes I know that.Osman was the chief of the Somali Navy in Siad Barre times.

[luis1]

Talking Peace
in the Ogaden
The search for an end to conflict in the
Somali Regional State in Ethiopia

TOBIAS HAgMANN

http://www.kismaayo.com/wp-content/uplo ... Ogaden.pdf

In March 1978, Ethiopian, Soviet, and Cuban troops defeated the
WSLF and drove the Somali army out of the Ogaden, re-establishing
Ethiopian rule on the Ethiopian /Somali frontier.

the ONLF was at first a small,
secretive diaspora organization with representatives in East Africa, the
Arab Gulf States and Europe (1984–1991), then a political party in charge
of the newly established SRS (1992–1994), and only after that, an armed
opposition group (1994–2014).