Occupied Territory in Africa (1977)

Today's Golden Oldie was first published on August 22, 1977... exactly 30 years ago. So you never heard of the Occupied Territory of Ogaden? well, it's about to pop back into the news!

Here's a report from the Guardian as quoted on a pro-Somali Ogaden website called OgadenNews:

Ethiopian strife tests US commitment
Wednesday August 8, 2007
"Rising tensions in the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, combined with chronic instability in neighbouring Somalia, Eritrean enmity, and human rights concerns, are testing US support for the Addis Ababa government led by Clinton-era good governance pin-up Meles Zenawi" -more

Two days after that report, on Aug 10 2007, Reuters reported that

Ethiopia signs Ogaden gas deal with Petronas
Aug 10 (Reuters) - "Ethiopia has signed a deal allowing Malaysian state oil firm Petronas [PETR.UL] to develop natural gas in its Ogaden region where rebels have warned oil companies to stay away, an official said on Friday.
'The agreement signed between Ethiopia and Petronas focuses on the development and marketing of Kalub and Hilal gas deposits in the Ogaden,' a Ministry of Mines and Energy official, who declined to be named, told Reuters." -more

* * * The Ethiopian government (also this month) issued a statement that:

"Various parties, in particular members of certain foreign media with their own hidden agenda and mission, have been disseminating erroneous stories alleging that the Ethiopian Government was blockading emergency food aid, restricting trade, causing price hikes and burning down villages in retaliation for support given to the so-called Ogaden National Liberation Front, (ONLF).

The truth, however, is that the ONLF, a terrorist group acting in collaboration with the defunct Union of Islamic Courts and the Eritrean Government, has been committing various heinous atrocities in the region. It has carried out horrendous human rights violations, including the indiscriminate murder of innocent civilians. Through such acts, it has also severely affected the peace and stability of the region."-more

* * * Surprise!
It's another Moslem/Infidel conflict.

Or is it the same unreported world wide Moslem/Infidel war that we're all in?