July 11, 2007: Ethiopia is
stepping up its counter-guerrilla operations in the Ogaden region. The
Ethiopian military began increasing its presence in "sensitive areas" of Ogaden
after the April 2007 attack on a Chinese-owned oil facility, which killed 74
people. The attackers were from the
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). Foreign aid workers are appalled that Ethiopian military operations are
indiscriminate. They are, and always have been, as the basic tactic in fighting
Somalis is to terrorize them enough so they calm down. There have
also been a large number of arrests. There is always some trouble in the
Ogaden desert. There is friction between ethnic Somalis and the Ethiopian
government. There is also friction between semi-nomadic tribes and sedentary
tribes. However, the attack on the Chinese drilling project was just too big to
ignore. Nine Chinese citizens died in the battle. The attack was also clearly
intended to discourage economic investment in the Ogaden, at least as long as
Ethiopia controls it. Ethiopia had to respond.
July 5, 2007: Eritrea said
that it had begun training a new group of draftees for service in the Eritrean
military. Eritrea conducts an "annual draft." Part of its national strategy is
to create a "nation in arms." During the Ethiopia-Eritrea War, Eritrean
politicians bragged that in Eritrea "everyone fights." Eritrea's high degree of
mobilization was necessary because Ethiopia has a much larger population.
July 2, 2007: Eritrea
ridiculed Ethiopia's recent statement that Ethiopia is "considering an
invasion" of Eritrea. Eritrea also criticized Ethiopia's counter-insurgency
operations in the Ogaden region. Eritrea denies that it aids the ONLF. However,
it does.
June 29, 2007 Ethiopia's
prime minister declared that Ethiopia is "ready" for war with Eritrea. This was
an escalation in Ethiopia's war rhetoric.
