Ogaden
872042
225766352
2008-07-15T08:44:40Z
Sephiroth BCR
621952
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/140.159.2.32|140.159.2.32]] to last version by Gyrofrog (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Otheruses4|the geographical area|the Somali clan|Ogaden (clan)}}
[[Image:Flag of Ogaden.svg|thumb|right|ONLF flag]]
'''Ogaden''' (pronounced and often spelled ''Ogadēn'') is the international name of the [[Somali Regional State]] in [[Ethiopia]]. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic [[Somali people|Somali]] and [[Muslim]]. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by some clans.
The region, which is around 400,000 square kilometres, borders [[Djibouti]], [[Kenya]], and [[Somalia]].<ref>Gebru Tareke, "The Ethiopia-Somalia War of 1977 Revisited," in Board of Trustees, Boston University, ''The International Journal of African Historical Studies''. Boston University African Studies Center, 2000, p. 636.</ref> Important towns include [[Degehabur]] (Dhagaxbuur in Somali), [[Gode]] (Godey), [[Jijiga]] (Jigjiga), [[Kebri Dahar]] (Qabridahare), [[Shilavo]] (Shilaabo) and [[Werder, Ethiopia|Werder]] (Wardheer).
== History ==
[[Image:Ethiopia-Somali.png|250px|right|Map of Ethiopia highlighting the [[Somali Region]].]]
[[Image:Ogaden Map.jpg|250px|right|Relief map of Ogaden]]
Ogaden was part of the Muslim [[Ifat]] Sultanate in the 13th & beginning of the 14th centuries. The sultante's borders extened to the Shoa - Addis Ababa area. Then the region was part of the [[Adal]] kingdom from late 14th to the last quarter of the 19th centuries. There was an ongoing conflict between the Adal kingdom and the Christian Kingdom of Abyssinia throughout this time. During the first half of the 16th century, most Abyssinian territory came under the rule of [[Adal]], when Imam [[Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi|Ahmed Gurey]], the leader of Adal's Army, took control.<ref>''A History of the Ogaden (Western Somali) Struggle for Self - Determination'', first edition(London:Mohamed Abdi , 2007), ps. 4-12.</ref>
The region was conquered by [[Menelik II of Ethiopia|Menelik II]] during the last quarter of the 19th century, and its boundary with [[British Somalialand]] was fixed by treaty in June, 1897.<ref>Bahru Zewde, ''A History of Modern Ethiopia'' (London: James Currey, 1991), p. 113.</ref>
In practice, Ethiopia exerted little administrative control east of Jijiga until 1934 when an Anglo-Ethiopian boundary commission attempted to demarcate the treaty boundary. This boundary is still disputed. <ref>Lewis, ''Modern History'', p. 61</ref>
Following their conquest of [[Italian East Africa]], the British sought to unify the Ogaden with [[British Somaliland]] and the former [[Italian Somaliland]], to form [[Greater Somalia]].<ref>Bahru Zewde, p. 180.</ref> Ethiopia unsuccessfully pleaded before the [[London Conference of the Allied Powers]] to gain the Ogaden and [[Eritrea]] in 1945, but their persistent negotiations and pressure from the USA eventually persuaded the British in 1948 to abandon all of the Ogaden except for the northeastern part (called the [[Haud]]), and a corridor (called the Reserved Area) stretching from the Haud to French Somaliland (modern [[Djibouti]]). The British ceded these last parts to Ethiopia in 1954.<ref>Bahru Zewde, p. 181.</ref>
In the late 1970s, internal unrest in the Ogaden Region resumed. The Western Somalia Liberation Front, spurred by [[Garad Makhtal Dahir]], used guerrilla tactics to resist Ethiopian rule. Ethiopia and Somalia fought the [[Ogaden War]] over control of this region and its peoples. During the Somali invasion of the Ogaden, many civilians were killed and development works were destroyed. Daniel Kendie describes the consequences of the invasion:
<blockquote>"thousands of defenseless people were killed, and thousands were uprooted and made destitute. It observed that development projects worth millions of dollars in the eastern and southern parts of the country were destroyed. Schools, hospitals, bridges, farms, power plants, water supply systems, industrial plants, and even UN financed settlement projects for nomads were not spared. Whole villages and towns were razed to the ground." <ref>[http://chora.virtualave.net/kendie-nile.htm result of Somalia invasion of Ogaden]</ref></blockquote>
In 2007, the [[Ethiopian Army]] launched a [[2007 Ogaden conflict|military crackdown in Ogaden]]. The main rebel group is the [[Ogaden National Liberation Front]] under its Chairman [[Mohamed O. Osman]], which is fighting to liberate the Ogaden from what they see as Ethiopian occupation. The Somalis who inhabit Ogaden claim that the Ethiopian military kill civilians, and destroy the livelihood of many of the ethnic Somalis. Numerous international rights organizations accuse the Ethiopian regime of committing abuses and crimes that "violate laws of war"<ref>[http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/07/02/ethiop16327.htm Ethiopia: Crackdown in East Punishes Civilians (Human Rights Watch, 4-7-2007)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> as a recent report by the [[Human Rights Watch]] indicates.
The ONLF attacked a Chinese Oil company in Ogaden in April, 2007 killing 65 Ethiopians and 9 Chinese workers.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2173264/
|title=Why We Don't Hear About the Conflict in the Ogaden: When an American reporter started digging, he was forced out of Ethiopia.
|first=Will
|last=Connors
|publisher=Slate
|date=2007-09-05}}</ref> According to a US House of Representatives committee, the ONLF has killed people, tortured civilians and committed crimes against the nomads in the region. <Ref>[http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/pha100207.htm US Committee on Foreign Affairs on ONLF]</ref> In late 2007 and early 2008, [[VOA]] reported that 200 civilians had been killed by the ONLF. <ref>[http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-01/2008-01-21-voa13.cfm?CFID=239801487&CFTOKEN=83370179 200 civilians reportedly killed by ONLF]</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Ogaden Basin]]
== Notes ==
{{reflist}}
== Links ==
* [http://www.somalistate.com/ Official Ogaden-Somali region of Ethiopia]
* [http://www.ethiopar.net/ List of Ogaden-Somali Members of Ethiopian Parliament]
* [http://www.kilil5.com/ Ogaden - Kilil 5]
* [http://www.ogaden.com Ogaden online]
* [http://www.onlf.org ONLF]
* [http://www.ogadentube.com Ogaden Video Sharing Site]
[[Category:Geography of Somalia]]
[[Category:Regions of Ethiopia]]
[[Category:Somali Region]]
[[ar:أوجادين وأوروميا]]
[[bg:Огаден]]
[[da:Ogaden (område)]]
[[de:Ogaden]]
[[es:Ogaden]]
[[eu:Ogaden]]
[[fr:Ogaden]]
[[id:Ogaden]]
[[it:Ogaden]]
[[he:אוגדן]]
[[nl:Ogaden]]
[[no:Ogaden]]
[[pl:Somali]]
[[pt:Ogaden]]
[[ru:Огаден]]
[[so:Ogaden]]
[[sv:Ogaden]]
[[tr:Ogaden]]
[[zh:欧加登]]