Ethiopia claims heavy losses inflicted on Ogaden rebels

ADDIS ABABA 08/09 - Ethiopian state radio said Wednesday that government troops had killed at least 650 rebels in the predominantly Somali ethnic region of Ogaden in the past two and half months.

But rebels in the restive southern region of Ethiopia dismissed the claims, insisting that Addis Ababa did not have "effective control" of Ogaden.

"The Ethiopian Defence Force, in collaboration with the elders of the area, have killed most of the anti-peace elements since it started its continous attacks on May 21," said state radio.

The defence ministry said Tuesday that it had killed some 200 members of the Oromo Liberation Front, Ogaden National Liberation Front and Al Ittihad groups since stepping up operations last month.

In May, the two separatist groups OFL and ONLF said they had killed 157 Ethiopian troops in the area, a claim denied by Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian claims could not be independently confirmed, since the Ethiopian authorities last month evicted the International Committee of the Red Cross officials from much of the area.

The ONLF, which has been fighting for the independence of Ogaden since 1984, said the government`s was trying to give a false sense of security to oil companies so they did not abandon their exploration plans.

"Pursuing oil and natural gas exploration activities in Ogaden at this stage can only be characterized as gross corporate irresponsibility given the war crimes being committed against our civilian population," the group said.

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